Survivor Crossover - Tropics!
by PunchDrunk123
Summary: Ever wanted to see your favorite characters in media duke it out on a tropical island? Ever wanted to see them form alliances, form rivalries, go through brutal challenges and eliminate one another at the tense Tribal Council for the chance of winning a stay at the world-famous Luxorium Hotel as well as a grand prize of a million dollars? Well, this is the story for you!
1. Introduction & Casting!

Episode 0: Introduction & Casting.

Greetings to all of you watching this from home! I am Alexa, and my last name isn't too important... I guess you can refer to me as Alexa "Host" if you really can't sleep without a last name. Now, I'm not important right now, the twenty survivors are! All of these guys and gals are big deals, celebrities even! So I thought it'd be an amazing idea to get these people together into a game I like to call Survivor.

What's Survivor you may be asking? Well allow me to show you the ins and outs of this show, I promise it'll be easy to understand once you see it!

For this, we'll make up some placeholders. Let's say... Johnny and Paula, a guy and a girl!

Johnny and Paula are survivors, and they will be living in the tropics in the middle of the ocean, on a deserted island!

Now now, don't assume this "competition" is actually just exiling people to an island and leaving them, because there's a lot more to it than that! They will be given a nice small shelter, some food and water to ration each day, and a few other supplies to improve their quality of life. It WILL be a rough place for them to stay, and I imagine most if not all of you wouldn't want to leave your home to go to this gritty island, especially after hearing about the climate there! Sheesh...

When Johnny and Paula move into this island, they will do activities like cooking their food, or even finding more food such as fish or fruits, so they have more energy to play the game well! Not only that, but they'll spend a lot of time with other survivors, and in this example, Johnny will be on a team of ten people, and Paula will be on another team of ten people. It's important they attempt to keep a bond and work together, it'll be very crucial for later...

After around a day on the island, they will wake up and take part in a challenge! These challenges will mostly be skill-based, but can be physical or mental challenges. Now, the challenge in this example is a simple obstacle course race from Point A to Point B! Johnny and his team do pretty well, but unfortunately for them, Paula and her team manage to finish the race first and win.

Upon winning a challenge, they will not only be rewarded with a prize of food or supplies, but they will be safe for tonight! You heard me right, as the losing team that Johnny is in will be forced to through a Tribal Council!

You should be rightfully intimidated by such a mysterious name! A Tribal Council takes place soon after the challenge, and the losing team will be forced to attend. In the Tribal Council, all ten of them are forced to vote a different person to eliminate them from the competition. Not voting is against the rules, and they aren't allowed to vote for themselves or people outside of the council.

After Johnny places a vote for a member he considers the "weak link", he sits down and, alongside everyone else, I read out the votes.

Poor Johnny is eliminated at five votes! With three votes going towards the person he voted for, with another two votes going towards some other member. It truly is a sad day for Johnny, and the roster of survivors has now been decreased to nineteen. Things would be different if Johnny made a better impression.

Now, this is the general pattern and core concept of the show, but there are lots of other things you'll need to look out for and learn! Such as idols, which offer advantages to whoever uses them at the council, and there will be many twists that could alter the teams or challenges! You'll learn these soon though!

Finally, you may be wondering what the grand prize is! Well, fellow viewers, they will receive a huge prize of TEN MILLION DOLLARS! Not only that, but they will get a free two-week stay at the Luxorium Hotel, one of the finest, luxurious hotels on Earth! Nothing can top such a prize.

Without further ado, let's cover the twenty survivors! We'll cover their names, franchise, where they live, their occupation (if they have one), and my personal thoughts on them and their advantages/disadvantages. I will also be including what tribe they'll be in when they arrive. The two tribes are Laau Pama (Green) and Haupia (White)

* * *

**Name:** Mario.

**From:** Super Mario franchise (Video Game)

**Location:** The Mushroom Kingdom

**Occupation:** Plumber

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Mario holds a very joyful and whimsical personality, that and his athletic capabilities make this stocky Italian a force to be reckoned with. I feel like he could easily get blindsided in the wrong hands, so that may just be the Achilles' Heel that this jumpy-guy bestows.

**Tribe:** Laau Pama

* * *

**Name:** Eugene Harold Krabs. (Mr. Krabs)

**From:** Spongebob Squarepants franchise (TV Show)

**Location:** Bikini Bottom

**Occupation:** Restaurant Manager

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Eugene gets easily blinded by a cash prize, so as soon as he heard about it, it became more than easy to get him in! He's very ruthless when it comes to getting money, so other survivors will have to look out for his strength and claws, however, I don't see him being a social butterfly, and he may even come across as annoying to the others!

**Tribe:** Haupia

* * *

**Name:** Johnny Bravo.

**From:** Johnny Bravo. (TV Show)

**Location:** ?

**Occupation:** Unemployed

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Johnny is strong physically, although I feel like mentally, this guy has nothing in his head but air, not to mention his constant quest for a soulmate may distract him a bit with our female survivors. All I know for sure is that he probably won't be going home with a girlfriend, whether he wins or loses.

**Tribe:** Laau Pama

* * *

**Name:** PAPYRUS.

**From:** Undertale (Video Game)

**Location:** SNOWDIN, UNDERGROUND

**Occupation:** MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Papyrus is a naive character, yet I feel like his naivety could somehow land him some pity and charm! I feel like it will be hard to truly hate Papyrus, though, as compensation, everyone will find him really annoying with his constant screaming and bombastic nature. His chances are slim, but I can see it.

**Tribe:** Haupia

* * *

**Name:** Samus Aran.

**From:** Metroid (Video Game)

**Location:** ?

**Occupation:** Bounty Hunter

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Samus will most definitely be impossible to blindside or betray, her guard is so highly raised it's surprising how a serious bounty hunter like her made the decision to accept this invitation. I think she's one of the most likely to win, although the unpredictable nature of Survivor may change that...

**Tribe:** Laau Pama

* * *

**Name:** Josuke Higashikata.

**From:** JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4 (Anime/Manga)

**Location:** Morioh

**Occupation:** Highschool student

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Josuke is a very, well, BIZARRE case in this competition. He apparently has this stand-thing called Crazy Diamond, which only he can see and use. He can use the utility of fixing and healing things to his advantage, but his hot-headed personality type (especially when someone insults his pompadour) may be his weakness.

**Tribe:** Haupia

* * *

**Name:** Captain Falcon.

**From:** F-Zero franchise (Video Game)

**Location:** ?

**Occupation:** Bounty Hunter

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Captain Falcon has a lot of life and energy to him without being annoying, I think that, plus his cool-headedness, strength, and average intelligence all makes for an overall solid contender. Unlike Samus however, he seems a bit more perceptible to blindsides and betrayal.

**Tribe:** Laau Pama

* * *

**Name:** Wario.

**From:** Wario Land/Wario World/Warioware/Super Mario franchises (Video Game)

**Location:** ?

**Occupation:** Treasure Hunter

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Wario is all brawn but no game. He has a sour attitude and is probably going into this competition with no strategy in mind, he just wants to win, but will his raw strength be enough to have him win in these odds? My personal guess is... not so much, but hey, maybe he will win and I know nothing!

**Tribe:** Haupia

* * *

**Name:** Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik.

**From:** Sonic the Hedgehog franchise (Video Game)

**Location:** Mobius

**Occupation:** Scientist

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Eggman is one of the smartest people here, but with that comes an ego, and a pretty big one. He may even overestimate himself at times, despite being pretty average with strength, though he is... scarily fast, I'm not sure how someone with that body can run so fast but hey, the world is full of mysteries am I right?

**Tribe:** Laau Pama

* * *

**Name:** Geoffrey Butler.

**From:** Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (TV Show)

**Location:** Bel-Air, California

**Occupation:** Butler

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Geoffrey seems very easy with his personality, he doesn't look like the type to ever get annoyed, and he seems quite helpful, I guess that's what happens when you get a butler on the show. I expect him to be a very social person, even if he isn't as outspoken as many others in Survivor Crossover.

**Tribe:** Haupia

* * *

**Name:** Wii Fit Trainer.

**From:** Wii Fit franchise (Video Game)

**Location:** ?

**Occupation:** Personal Trainer

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Wii Fit Trainer is one of the most athletic and sporty ones here, so I feel like she has the physique needed to win covered. On the other hand, her mental game also looks strong, and despite having a very normal personality, she looks like she won't have too much of a struggle making friends of almost everyone.

**Tribe:** Laau Pama

* * *

**Name:** Soldier.

**From:** Team Fortress 2 (Video Game)

**Location:** ?

**Occupation:** Mercenary

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Soldier is more of a wildcard during this competition. The guy's pretty insane, and it doesn't take much analyzing to figure it out, needless to say, he's a very skilled and strong contender, but I don't see him winning in any other fields than just brawn.

**Tribe:** Haupia

* * *

**Name:** Squidward Tentacles.

**From:** Spongebob Squarepants franchise. (TV Show)

**Location:** Bikini Bottom

**Occupation:** Cashier

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Though this squid is a bit full of himself, his overall realistic attitude (maybe even a pessimistic one at that) may make him a breath of fresh air when compared to his rivals. Though, I don't see him getting far due to his lack of strength unless he manages to get into a solid alliance ASAP.

**Tribe:** Laau Pama

* * *

**Name:** King Dedede.

**From:** Kirby franchise (Video Game)

**Location:** Planet Popstar

**Occupation:** King

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Whilst looking like a stubborn egotistical fool with a royal position, DeDeDe is actually quite the force to be reckoned with. Not only does he pack a punch, but he's strategic in his fights. Don't count him down for the fight just yet, in case you are!

**Tribe:** Haupia

* * *

**Name:** Peter Griffin.

**From:** Family Guy (TV Show)

**Location:** Quahog, Rhode Island

**Occupation:** Worker at Pawtucket Brewery

**Alexa's Thoughts:** I feel like Peter will be nothing but a joke character. He's pretty weak, dumb and crass, but at the same time, I feel like people may use him as a pawn to get easy votes on their side, which may lead to him getting surprisingly far, and by surprising I mean, not getting eliminated first.

**Tribe:** Laau Pama

* * *

**Name:** Gruntilda Winkybunion.

**From: **Banjo & Kazooie franchise (Video Game)

**Location:** A land not so fair, the one and only Gruntilda's Lair!

**Occupation:** Witch

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Grunty is an evil cunning witch that loves to speak in rhymes, what bad is there to her? Sadly a lot, she's likely going to be an anti-social player among the others, which is fair, she IS a spooky evil witch after all.

**Tribe:** Haupia

* * *

**Name:** Arataka Reigen.

**From:** Mob Psycho (Anime/Manga)

**Location:** Seasoning City

**Occupation:** Psychic

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Personally, I don't buy the whole "psychic" shtick Reigen has going on, but I guess I'll play along. Anyway, things can either go surprisingly well for Reigen and he'll make it far, or things can go horribly and he'll be one of the first gone. It all comes down to how he handles it, and with his composure, he may just pull off his game well enough.

**Tribe:** Laau Pama

* * *

**Name:** Little Mac.

**From:** Punchout! franchise (Video Game)

**Location:** Bronx, New York

**Occupation:** World Champion Boxer

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Little Mac is quite possibly going to be an underdog of this competition. I can't see him ever getting the limelight until the others realize that they let this sneaking, powerful and mentally prepared teenager get as far as he did.

**Tribe:** Haupia

* * *

**Name:** Gordon Ramsay.

**From:** Hell's Kitchen, Hotel Hell, Kitchen Nightmares UK & USA, Masterchef, and several other TV shows (Celebrity)

**Location:** London, UK

**Occupation:** Michelin Star Chef/Food Critic

**Alexa's Thoughts:** Gordon appears to be a strong-minded and a physically strong character who is down to Earth. However, he may be outclassed by more powerful foes. At least I can add him to the list of "impossible to blindside" survivors. Oh, and I imagine he'll be criticizing the food that his team makes until they go insane.

**Tribe:** Laau Pama

* * *

**Name:** Sonic the Hedgehog.

**From:** Sonic the Hedgehog franchise (Video Game)

**Location:** Mobius

**Occupation:** ?

**Alexa's Thoughts:** This cocky hedgehog is undoubtedly the fastest person in this competition, and by a LOT. That and his incredible strength and wit, and it makes for one of the strongest characters in the whole show! Though he tends to get quite cocky at times, and he may get outranked in terms of strength by a couple of others, so he isn't at an unfair advantage.

**Tribe:** Haupia

* * *

I hope you now know the roster well! Stay tuned for Episode 1: Tropical Turmoil!


	2. Episode 1 Part 1 - Tropical Turmoil!

EPISODE 1: Tropical Turmoil.

The camera panned to Alexa, lying back in a beach chair, wearing dark sunglasses and sipping the sweet nectar from one of the island's coconuts.

He then turned to the camera and flicked his sunglasses up. "Oh, heya there audience, I didn't see you there! I was just waiting for the twenty survivors to show up on this beautiful island! Did you know that this place is an obscure part of Hawaii? Nobody lives here, and it's been completely untouched by Mother Nature... until today, that is."

With optimism, he sprung from his chair and on to his two feet. "Why, speak of the devil! It appears our survivors have arrived."

In the far distance, skipping over the ocean's salty water, were two boats containing a cargo of ten survivors, as well as a handful of staff each.

When the boats arrived, they came to a complete halt before contestant after contestant began leaving the vehicle. Soon, however, the boats were emptied, and the survivors laid their feet on the golden sands of the tropical island for the first time.

"Sheesh, it sure is hot, did anyone pack sunscreen?" Asked Sonic, fanning his face with his hand.

"FACE THE SUN LIKE A MAN, RAT!" Soldier bellowed, sticking his finger right in front of Sonic's face. "Listen here son, you haven't felt heat until you've felt the wrath of war."

"Tsk, I've been involved in it before." He folded his arms, turning his head away from the bombastic mercenary.

"WILL YOU TWO BE QUIET! YOUR ARGUMENT IS NOTHING BUT A BOONDOGGLE!" Papyrus exclaimed, before fixing his cape. "NOW, HOST PERSON, PLEASE TELL US YOUR ORDERS!"

Alexa gave a wink and a thumbs up towards the eager skeleton. "Sure thing!"

He then stood back and cleared his throat, taking one last sip of his coconut before tossing it onto the sand.

"Survivors..." He said in a slightly deeper than usual voice. "You have all been selected to participate in this show, and have accepted said invitation. You will go through several challenges, eliminations, and hardships, just know that you're the best of the best!"

"I already know that, but I'm completely fine with hearing it again." Squidward boasted.

"Anyway, you will all be split into two teams! Where you will live together, cook together, talk to one another, and beat challenges together. HERE ARE THE TEAMS!

Team Laau Pama (Green Team)

\- Mario

\- Johnny Bravo

\- Samus Aran

\- Captain Falcon

\- Dr. Eggman

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Squidward Tentacles

\- Peter Griffin

\- Arataka Reigen

\- Gordon Ramsay

Team Haupia (White Team)

\- Mr. Krabs

\- Papyrus

\- Josuke Higashikata

\- Wario

\- Geoffrey Butler

\- Soldier

\- King Dedede

\- Gruntilda Winkybunion

\- Little Mac

\- Sonic

You better get comfortable with the team you're in, because your attitude and loyalty to them could very well decide your fate!" Warned Alexa.

"Woah ho ho! Looks like I'm lucky enough to be placed in the same team as not just one lil' mama, but TWO of em'! Today's my lucky day, and I'm sure at least one of them will be flattered by my good looks and hairdo." - Johnny Bravo.

"After seeing all of the people I'm against, it's safe to say that the normal-looking humans like me are outnumbered greatly by other weird creatures. Here's hoping they're all at least sentient." - Gordon Ramsay.

"There's a friggin' octopus, a crab wearing a suit, a big penguin, and a chef! This is all so cool!" - Peter Griffin.

"Woah! I didn't know Mr. Squidward also got invited to this show, I swear if he steals me' limelight and gets me voted off, then I'm cutting his paycheck down to the negatives..." - Mr. Krabs.

"It appears I'm against a cast of various shapes and sizes, but being the victor among them all is the outcome that entices. One by one will they fall, and I will make sure to be the reason for the loss of them all!" - Gruntilda Winkybunion.

Geoffrey nodded to this newfound information. "So, tell me, Master Alexa, this means that we'll have to vote each other out of our team if we lose a challenge?"

"Seems that way." Josuke shrugged. "Nobody votes me, got it?"

Reigen tutted at such a request. "It's a lot more complicated than just asking not to be voted."

"Right you are, Reigen!" Alexa nodded. "When you lose, you'll have some time to decide who to vote, but then you'll have to attend the Tribal Council, which is located on the island behind this one!"

"DO YOU EXPECT US TO SWIM THE WHOLE WAY THERE AND BACK?!" Soldier yelled with a mix of rage and confusion.

Dead silence fell down, as everyone slowly turned their heads to him, processing what he had just said.

"Oh, yeah, boats..." He said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Now, I think I've done enough talking! Team Laau Pama will follow me this way, whilst Team Haupia will be followed by my good bodyguard Jerome."

Alexa spun around and began walking off, with one team trailing behind, whilst the others followed the bodyguard.

* * *

**Team Laau Pama: Day 1**

Survivors: Mario - Johnny Bravo - Samus Aran - Captain Falcon - Dr. Eggman - Wii Fit Trainer - Squidward Tentacles - Peter Griffin - Arataka Reigen - Gordon Ramsay

Upon arriving at the camp, they were given a tiny tour of the area by Alexa.

Within the camp was a small shelter for sleeping, a minuscule fire with a clay cooking pot next to it, ten small wooden bowls, a few sacks of rice and beans, a small underground chamber for fresh water, and a crinkled map of the island.

"If you wish, you could build up your shelter a little bit more if you want more room, but it'll take some time and effort." Alexa explained. "Anyways, before I leave you all to it, it's time I told all of you about one more thing."

"Lay it on me!" Falcon beckoned.

With a nod, he pulled a carved wooden statue of a sword from his bag. "This right here is an idol. Specifically an Idol of Attack."

"Looks interesting." Wii Fit analyzed it. "What does it do?"

"Well, there are five of these idols scattered throughout this island, all of which possess different shapes and powers. This idol allows you to triple your votes at Tribal Council, meaning you can cast three votes on one person instead of one vote." Alexa held it up clearly for everyone to see. "You can usually get a vague idea of an idol's ability by looking at it."

Eggman gave a smirk, and proceeded to fold his arms, the power of the idol coming across as very valuable to him. "So you're telling me we have to find these idols to get incredible advantages in the competition?"

"That is exactly what you have to do." Agreed Alexa.

"GHAHA! This is just what I need to succeed in this competition. A nice, big advantage to make sure nobody votes me off, that rotten hedgehog won't be able to ruin my chances after all, and neither will ANYONE else!" - Dr. Eggman.

"So... can I have it?" Johnny asked, an eyebrow raised.

The dim-witted request caused Alexa to chuckle. "Obviously not! You have to earn these by finding or earning them yourself. This is just a worthless clone, the real one is on this island."

"Well, it was worth a shot. Maybe I can find one of those idols and give it to one of them beautiful chicks to win them over..." - Johnny Bravo.

"I'm not sure how you thought that was going to-a turn out well." Mario turned to his teammate, a bewildered look plastered on his face.

"Doesn't concern you, shorty." Spat Johnny in a casual tone. "What does concern me is gettin' one of those idols."

Alexa then turned away, slipping the idol back into the bag. "Well, it's best I get going to check on the other tribe. Good luck surviving!"

With a skip, he wandered off and disappeared into the trees.

"Is the info dump over?" Reigen sat down on the shelter. "I can easily tell that everyone has those idols on their mind."

"Well can you blame us when we were told that there were big advantages scattered friggin' everywhere?!" Peter rubbed his chin. "It's like Easter egg hunting without the Easter eggs!"

"There are four different types of idols, I wonder what they'd all do." Said Samus, mostly to herself.

"Hmmm, well there's an idol of attack, so I can see there being an idol of defense." Wii Fit suggested. "Maybe it halves your votes, or blocks them entirely!"

Eggman began wringing his hands to all of the idol discussion. "I'm beginning to get giddy with all of these idol descriptions!"

"How about we quit daydreaming about idols and make some-a food!" Proposed Mario. "I'm especially hungry."

"Good idea." Wii Fit stuck her thumbs up. "It's important to keep your energy up in a situation like this, where calories are scarce."

Captain Falcon barged through the others. "Leave starting the fire to me!"

"Oh please, it's not like you starting a fire is going to be impressi-" Squidward was interrupted by the slight sound of a fire starting.

He focused his attention to the fire, which had already gotten impressively large within five seconds of being lit.

"H-how..." He stuttered.

"I have my ways." Falcon said, cracking his knuckles. "What does a sea creature know about starting fires? I'm surprised you know what one looks like!"

"Tsk... I'm surprised I know too." Squidward rolled his eyes.

The clay pot was filled with water and was heated from the fire before the rice and beans were placed inside by Gordon.

"You see, the fact that it's harder to cook rice in a clay pot like this makes it a lot easier to hit that al dente texture, which is personally my favorite when making rice. I wouldn't advise you put in the beans WITH the rice at home, but they should be fine in texture and flavor, even if you focus on the rice." Gordon instructed. "Are there any herbs we could use to enhance the flavor?"

"Buddy, just focus on cooking the rice." Johnny commanded.

"The flavor won't be good if we don't add anything else." Gordon reminded. "Though we're in an island setting, so I'm afraid we don't have a choice do we?"

Samus nodded. "We don't have a choice, that and I don't recognize half of these plants, so they could be poisonous."

"Sacrificing our tastebuds for not getting ill is-a fine by me!" Informed Mario.

"It's a disappointment that I'll be tasting nothing but bland food for a while, maybe I could find some mint or other very recognizable herbs later on, but I feel like I won't be able to get what I'm looking for." - Gordon Ramsay.

"Well, we got a passionate cook on our team from the sounds of it! Looks like we won't have to worry about someone screwing up the rice and making it crunchy." - Captain Falcon.

After the rice was cooked (and surprisingly quick thanks to the roaring flames), Gordon served it perfectly split for everyone.

"Enjoy the meal, if you can." He added.

Johnny was the first to finish, scooping the meal into his mouth and cleaning his bowl in seconds.

"Boy was that good." He wiped his mouth, before turning to Samus. "Hey lil' miss, you seem to be enjoying that cuisine, I guess our enjoyment for it is something we have in common-"

Before he could finish his line, a fist struck him in the jaw and caused him to spin around and fall on the ground.

"Ouch." Said Johnny, dazed.

"Don't talk to me like that or I'll break your legs." Samus calmly warned, taking another bite of her food.

"Looks like I already have a target in mind, I hate meatheads like that jockish freak." - Samus Aran.

"Got it!" He shakily responded.

Soon after the hit, he finally got back onto his two feet, and his mind immediately went back to those idols.

As he thought about it, his eyes slowly trailed over to the scrunched up map nearby.

That was it! The map could potentially provide some sort of clue, and nobody had checked it yet so it was worth a shot.

"Lemme just check this map..." Johnny announced, reaching for the map and opening it. "There seems to be some sort of odd symbol on it... was is it? Greek? Roman? Egyptian?"

Curious over what he had found, Reigen stood up and leaned over to the map, taking a look for himself. "That's an X."

"Oooh right! Like a treasure map one?" He questioned.

All he could do was shrug in response. "Maybe. It appears to be in the middle of the island, by all of the rocks."

"Rocks eh? Well I'll go check it out." Johnny said, spinning around and beginning to walk off.

"We can't have you go alone! Maybe you should-a go with-a someone else?" Mario suggested. "If you find an idol you-a won't tell us!"

"You think I can't handle it, shorty? I'm not lettin' anyone go with me, that's for sure." Johnny shook his head. "Unless one of those smokin' hot mamas back there would like to?"

"That plumber's lookin' to be a big problem, if he's going to be against my babe-related wishes then it looks like I'll have to be extra cautious around him." - Johnny Bravo.

Wii Fit gave an uncomfortable smile, scratching the back of her head. "I dunno... I think I'll pass."

As for Samus, the other girl, she simply clenched her fists, which said it all.

"I'll go with you, I've finished my meal anyways." Captain Falcon volunteered.

"Ugh, fine." Johnny gave up, rolling his eyes from behind his glasses and continuing to walk off quickly, leaving Falcon to catch up...

* * *

**Team Haupia: Day 1**

Survivors: Mr. Krabs - Papyrus - Josuke Higashikata - Wario - Geoffrey Butler - Soldier - King Dedede - Gruntilda Winkybunion - Little Mac - Sonic

When the survivors arrived at the camp, they were given the same mini-tour as Laau Pama, just without the talk of idols, or any talk. The bodyguard simply left them all after they had learned everything they needed to know about the camp.

"So, what now?" Little Mac asked.

"I feel like some ol' fuel for this crab would suffice." Mr. Krabs recommended. "Any cooks here, I can't cook barnacles without setting me' house on fire!"

Papyrus gave a triumphant pose in response to Mr. Krabs' request. "WELL, I MAY SPECIALISE IN SPAGHETTI, BUT I AM ACTUALLY AN OUTSTANDING COOK!"

"I also have experience in cooking for the Banks' family, so I could also help." Volunteered Geoffrey.

"THIS IS A CHANCE TO PROVE MYSELF! I HAVE MASTERED THE ART OF COOKING TO THE POINT WHERE I DO NOT NEED ANY HELP FROM YOU!" He shook his head aggressively before turning to where the clay pot was. "HMM?"

"What's wrong? Get cookin' ya bonehead!" Wario scalded.

The confusion on the skeleton's face slowly grew more and more panicked. "WELL, YOU SEE... ERR... THERE APPEARS TO BE NO... COOKING POT?!"

"What do you MEAN there's no cooking pot? The bodyguard showed us where everything was, fool!" Dedede joined in on bashing Papyrus, before turning to where the cooking pot SHOULD be... only to find it not be there. "What the? It's missing?!"

Sonic began speeding around the area, getting dirt and dust in the faces of others before stopping. "I can't find a trace of it anywhere! Speaking of which... where's that Soldier guy, he's too loud to get lost from us!"

"Foolish critter, you are, as the location of the clay pot isn't even far!" Gruntilda pointed over to behind the tree. "Sneaky, was the mercenary, taking the clay pot and wearing it on his head, unwary!"

"On... his head?" Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Like, as a hat?"

"GWAHAHAHAHA! I AM WEARING THE CLAY POT!" Soldier screeched, almost like a war cry, before running into view with that clay cooking pot obscuring his head.

"When I first entered this competition, I thought it would be a stupid tea party with nothing but numbnut hippies. Now that I managed to wear a clay pot as a hat, I can say that this is a VICTORY FOR AMERICA!" - Soldier.

"GREAT NEPTUNE! Get that pot off his head NOW!" Mr. Krabs indirectly commanded.

Geoffrey nodded to the crustacean. "I am on it, sir!"

He began chasing the adrenaline-filled Soldier around the tribe, but to no avail, as he was just too slow to catch up.

Papyrus began panicking even more. "STOP! YOU MIGHT BREAK THE-"

*CRACK*

As Soldier unknowingly collided into the wall, the pot split into large shards as it broke, Soldier's head and helmet were revealed. "Aww..."

Little Mac gasped as a couple of the shards landed at his feet, he was filled with nothing but pure shock.

"NOOOOO!" Papyrus, King Dedede and Wario simultaneously bellowed, Papyrus even dropping to his knees in total despair. "MY... MY... MY COOKING WILL NEVER BE SHOWN OFF..."

"THAT IS THE LEAST OF OUR WORRIES!" Shouted Mr. Krabs. "OUR ONLY WAY OF COOKIN' FOOD IS GONE!"

"I don't think I need the permission of the host or anyone to break this-a idiot's face!" Wario growled.

Josuke attempted to calm everyone down. "Hey! It's okay, I can fix this."

"Hate to break it to ya dude, but I don't think you can fix that, especially without any tools." Sonic admitted. "This is bad!"

"I would help you fix it, but there's no glue we could use, and I bet that glue would melt when exposed to heat anyways. It's entirely unsalvageable." Added Geoffrey.

Just before Papyrus, Mr. Krabs, King Dedede and Wario all got a jump on Soldier to attack him with Gruntilda cackling with laughter in the background, they were all distracted by a bizarre phrase that came from Josuke's mouth.

"CRAZY DIAMOND!" He called out, before his stand was summoned.

The stand, named exactly after the phrase he yelled, punched the rubble of the clay pot. The fact that one of the shards split without Josuke touching it was weird enough to them, as they couldn't see the stand, but they watched as the other shards including the punched shard all began sticking together, before perfectly reforming the clay pot.

"Wha..." Sonic's eyes lit up. "That's crazy! How did you do that?"

"My stand, Crazy Diamond, allows to me fix anything I punch." Josuke revealed. "You can't see it, but hopefully I've proved it to you."

Mr. Krabs jumped for joy at the sight of the clay pot being reformed. "You saved us, kid! I'd be clickin' me' heels if my legs were any longer! Maybe you would like to get involved in my business, your talent could make a lotta money down in Bikini Bottom."

"I think I'll decline that offer." Josuke smiled.

"G-give time to think about it, boyo!" He pleaded, with a hint of panic in his voice.

"Lettin' the lad with purple hair slip away from me' claws isn't going to make me a dime extra! I need to make sure he gets into the business after this whole competition is over." - Mr. Krabs.

Little Mac grabbed the clay pot off the ground and observed it. "It's a perfect fix! Definitely doesn't seem to be any cracks or signs of damage on it."

"Well, this is great! Skeleton, get back to your work, and make it quick." Dedede commanded. "I'm starving!"

"Y-YES YOUR MAJESTY! I WAS JUST TOO SHOCKED AT THOSE MAGICAL FIXING POWERS TO SAY ANYTHING!" Papyrus stumbled over to the cooking pot as Geoffrey lit the fire.

Papyrus proceeded to cook the rice and beans, tasting a small amount every now and then to taste the quality, although the food just fell through his ribcage and armor and onto the floor.

Finally, he called out to the others. "IT IS READY!"

"Twiddling my thumbs for minutes is definitely something I hate, so I sure hope that this food was worth the wait!" Gruntilda wrung her hands. "It's finally time to eat! Seeing people complain about the portion sizes will be a treat!"

"Woah Woah Woah!" A man in the distance called out. "Eating already? That was pretty quick."

"HMM, YES, THE GREAT PAPYRUS MAKES THE FINEST CUISINE IN THE QUICKEST AMOUNT OF TIME POSSIBLE!" Papyrus gave a strong bow.

"The rice is still crunchy..." Little Mac said, swallowing a mouthful of coarse and foul-tasting rice and beans. "Anyways, what brings you here?"

Alexa pulled out a carved wooden sword statue from his pocket, as he did to the other team. "I have already told the others about this, but one last component of Survivor you should certainly know about are idols. This idol, for example, is an Idol of Attacking, which triples the votes you cast on someone during a Tribal Council."

"Whoa, that's an advantage if I've ever seen one." Sonic's eyes widened. "Where can we get them?"

"This idol, alongside four different idols, are all scattered across this island. I won't tell you the abilities of any others, but I will say that all of them have different shapes and sizes and abilities. You will probably figure out the ability of an idol just by looking at the shape, as this sword-shaped idol is really good for attacking someone when voting."

"Well color me excited, I'm gonna be diggin' for those idols all day!" King Dedede announced. "But before I do... you're tellin' me that the others were informed of this first?"

He gave a slow nod. "Yeah, is there a problem with that?"

"Tell me, ain't that a LITTLE unfair for us poor poor Haupia members who didn't get a lick of information regardin' these so-called "idols" from the guy who gave us the tour of this place?" He continued, before raising his eyebrow. "Sounds like you didn't think this through!"

"Psssh, well, err. I mean come on, they only got a small headstart, right?" Alexa gave a nervous shrug.

"A disadvantage is a disadvantage! Maybe one of those idols would be a good compensation prize, eh?" Mr. Krabs joined in, winking at Dedede.

Alexa spun around and folded his arms. "Tsk, fine! If you're going to be so picky over a tiny disadvantage, then I'll give you a hint: a hint to the location of the idol is in this very tribe."

"It's RIGHT here?!" Questioned Josuke, surprised. "That's a huge hint!"

"But an obvious one, as the other team probably already discovered the hint for themselves. You better be quick in finding the hint AND location-" He was interrupted by the bellowing voice of soldier.

He held the large map they were given and pointed to a red X symbol on the map. "I HAVE FOUND THE LOCATION!"

"Hey, what do you-a know! This guy does useful things!" Wario sniggered, snatching the idol off of the crazed mercenary and studied the map. "It appears to be in the middle, I'm going for that idol!"

With gusto, he wolfed down the rest of his meal before running off, as Alexa put a hand over his face with shame. "Maybe I should've given a more vague hint..."

"HEY! That idol's not just for you!" Mr. Krabs chased after him.

"NOT ON MY WATCH!" Dedede growled before storming after the two.

One by one did everyone end up chasing after each other for the idol, all but Geoffrey and Gruntilda were left.

"Ohoho! Everyone but me and the butler has been sold. The bitterness of those unable to obtain the idol will spread like mold!" Rhymed Gruntilda.

"That isn't a particularly good thing, may I remind you," Geoffrey said.

"It may not be a good event, but it shall definitely be fun! Especially when I get to gawk at the despair of everyone!" She gave another evil cackle before getting comfortable.

"My plan of the game is easy to follow, watch the drama unfold and laugh at the soon-to-be hollow! It may be lacking in terms of a genuine game, but Grunty's skills are skills that will land her in a lot of fame!" - Gruntilda Winkybunion.

* * *

**Island Rockies: Day 1**

When Johnny and Captain Falcon both came up to the center of the island, the habitat was a rocky, lifeless region.

"How are we gonna find one of those idols in this wasteland?" Johnny asked. "I won't let any of those lame Haupia guys get it, mainly since they have no ladies to woe me over."

"I see you're a ladies' man or a man that just really wants a lady." Captain Falcon gave a smirk. "Wouldn't be surprised if you were only looking for one to win Samus or Wii Fit Trainer over."

"What? No, that's diabolical." He lied. "It's every man for himself, and I'll have to enforce that even if it means missing out on getting one of those ladies. They'll fall to my feet as soon as I get the money and fame anyway."

Captain Falcon chuckled at his last sentence. "You got a pretty warped view of women if you think that all you need is a sack of money and some exposure. You think people would fall at Wario's feet if he won?"

"Depends, since I don't know who Wario is." Johnny raised an eyebrow.

"Oh right." He realized. "You don't participate in Smash Brothers so you don't know him; Wario is the short fat guy in the yellow and purple outfit."

"Well, he doesn't have my impressive looks." He pointed to his hairdo and sunglasses. "These two win over women, even without my pretty face or muscles to help."

As he was pointed to his face, he tripped over a rock and faceplanted, messing up his hair and covering his face in the dirt.

"Darn, second time today." Johnny pouted before getting pack up to his feet.

"Sheesh, you okay?" Captain Falcon asked before his eyes gazed over to the rock he tripped on. "Wait just a second, that rock doesn't look right."

He kneeled down and looked at it some more. "Is this made of metal?"

Johnny picked it up as soon as he heard about it. "This must be the idol! Looks like our work is done, bird boy."

"Wait, I don't think that's an idol... they're supposed to be wooden right?" Captain Falcon then peeked at where Johnny picked the rock up from. "Is that a hole?"

He reached into it and felt something wooden, his eyes lit up at the texture of it as he tugged it out with a smile across his face. "We found it!"

A carved wooden statue of a shield was firmly in his hand. "A shield? This must be some sort of idol which helps you block out votes or something."

"Maybe it saves you from ALL votes?" Johnny said, precisely nabbing it from his hand and looking at it.

"Maybe it's just not-a your idol!" Wario interrupted the joyful moment by bashing Johnny a few meters forward.

Captain Falcon gave a stone-cold stare at the stubby treasure hunter. "We found that first, that idol is OURS!"

"Sorry, LOSER, but this idol is-a for WARIO only! Capiche?" He gave a cocky grin before spinning around.

However, behind him was a towering, angry Dedede, who swiped the statue away from Wario before attempting to retreat.

"WAAAH?!" He yelled before chasing after the penguin.

However, as Dedede disappeared into the forest, Mr. Krabs came storming out with the idol, and with the now-enraged Dedede as well as Wario and Captain Falcon chasing him.

"SO LONG, SUCKERS! ARKARKARKAR-" His victory was short-lived, as a boxing glove went straight into his face, launching him right next to the dizzy Johnny Bravo.

"Sorry, but the idol is mine!" Little Mac yelled as he grabbed the idol from the floor.

Suddenly, his victory was ALSO cut short by the name "CRAZY DIAMOND!"

Josuke stood in front of him, with his invisible stand right in front.

"Give it here or I won't-"

Before he could even threaten Little Mac, he bolted away from him, far too fast for anyone to keep up and too far out of range for Crazy Diamond to attack. Josuke's reaction was nothing but a slightly annoyed look on his face.

Well, there was one person, and that person was made clear when the idol simply disappeared from Little Mac's hand.

A blue blur caught his eye as Sonic zipped onto a large rock with the idol in hand. "I'm not gonna hurt anyone since that's a bit barbaric for my tastes, but I'll be keeping the idol, thanks!"

He got into position to speed off, but a bone managed to strike him in the head, causing him to instinctively let go as he tumbled down the rock and onto the ground, coincidentally next to the incapacitated Mr. Krabs and Johnny Bravo. "Ow..."

The culprit behind the attack was Papyrus, and he jumped in to nab the idol. "IT'S MINE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS FINALLY HAS THE ADVANTAGE!"

Like with almost everyone else who decided to celebrate too soon, Papyrus, unfortunately, had a fist strike his jaw, almost detaching his skull and causing him to fall onto the ground.

"I HAVE THE IDOL!" Soldier cheered before attempting to bolt off.

This time, his fate was sealed by the same metal rock that Johnny had initially tripped over, which caused him to faceplant onto the ground and drop the idol right in front of him.

He looked up to see Captain Falcon grab the idol. "Thanks for the idol!"

"Not so fast!" Wario cracked his knuckles, as he as well as almost everyone else barring the ones who got knocked into a dizzy state had surrounded the racer.

His only response was to gulp, as they all began charging at him.

Right before they slammed into him, a whistle penetrated the ears of everyone, causing them to turn to the man blowing the whistle, that man being Alexa.

"Really guys? You're going to turn into wild animals over this?" Alexa sighed. "I knew I should've told you this sooner but, it is forbidden to steal an idol off whoever gets it first, they will need consent for the idol if they wish to get it. Am I clear?"

"Y-yes Alexa." Captain Falcon shakily nodded, still traumatized over the calamity that was about to occur.

"Good! Now, I don't care WHO originally had it in this case, so whoever has it now gets to keep it. Next person to try and steal the idol will get warned and will have to return it to the owner; doing so again will result in elimination." He spun around and walked off. "Remember, you're all being watched by cameras, so lying is futile."

Disappointed, everyone barring the two members from Laau Pama left.

"We got the idol! Well, you did." Johnny sighed. "I guess I can't take it off you anymore."

"Hey, Johnny." Captain Falcon turned to him as they began walking back to their tribe. "How about this, we both go back to our tribe and talk about everything that happened, but let's say a member from Haupia managed to get the idol instead. Then we can keep this idol to ourselves."

"You mean I get to have it too?" He raised an eyebrow.

He shrugged. "Well, you can have it if any of us find out that you may get voted off, and the same for me! Let's just say that it's owned by both of us!"

"Oh, sweet!" Johnny gave a small, accomplished grin.

"Just ONE condition." Captain Falcon held his finger up. "Stop trying to woe the girls, it's weird and it'll make you an easy target. I don't want to have to use this so soon, and I'm not even sure if it will block out ALL the votes, because that seems pretty powerful."

"Not swaying those beautiful hot mamas to my side? I don't think I can!" He shook his head.

Captain Falcon gave an audible groan. "Look, dude, they uhh, they already have husbands!"

"Say what now?" Johnny's jaw dropped. "You mean, married?"

"Married! Both are taken! Trust me, remember how I said I know Wario from Smash Brothers? I know those two girls too, and they definitely got husbands!" He revealed.

"I know that lying is a pretty bad thing, especially when it's not even about the game itself! Though it'd benefit Johnny, it'd benefit the girls, and it'd benefit me too. It's a win for everyone." - Captain Falcon.

He nodded slowly. "I guess I gotta call quits then, but a deal's a deal, I won't try and get with those taken mamas, and I'll keep this a secret too!"

"So, are we an alliance?" Captain Falcon held his hand out.

With little hesitation, Johnny stuck his hand out and they both shook on it.

They then walked back to their tribe, with the idol hidden.

*To Be Continued in Part 2*


	3. Episode 1 Part 2 - The First Obstacle!

**Team Challenge: Day 2**

In the middle of the second day, all twenty survivors were rounded up at the beach of the island.

The adjacent sea contained different color buoys, some further away from the coast than others.

As well as this, several wooden balls marked in two different colors (white and green, the colors of the two tribes) were located in a sturdy box on the sand, these balls were attached to a thick strand of rope.

"Take it in, survivors." Alexa grinned. "This is your first challenge, after all!"

"Looks like some sort of hammer throwing challenge." Little Mac gripped his bicep. "This seems like the challenge for me!"

"Well, you're pretty accurate there, Mac!" He applauded. "I didn't know someone would catch on so quickly. Anyway, this challenge requires both precision and power, you have to hurl these heavy wooden balls (known as hammers) by using the rope attached and spinning around in a circle, JUST like the sport! You have to aim for one of four buoys to get a different amount of points:

Green Buoy: 25 Metres away from the coast. Worth 1 point.

Yellow Buoy: 50 Metres away from the coast. Worth 3 points.

Red Buoy: 75 Metres away from the coast. Worth 6 points.

Purple Buoy: 100 Metres away from the coast. Worth 10 points.

In order to get the points from these buoys, your hammer has to be closer to that buoy than the others!"

"Judging from your explanation, it seems simple enough! Though Grunty thinks that there's a catch that will make things rough." Gruntilda glared at him.

Alexa simply gave a chuckle in response to her suspicions. "Man, you guys are on fire with predicting this challenge! There is a catch, and that catch is that there are several black buoys circling around these nice, colorful buoys. If your hammer lands closer to one of these black ones as opposed to the others, then you won't gain a point! In fact, you'll lose one. Your points will all add up for your team, and the team with the most points will win the challenge."

He then walked over to a large table, masked with a cloth.

With excitement, he gripped the cloth and flung it away, revealing fruits, vegetables, a lighter and two bottles of white wine.

"The winners will receive immunity from Tribal Council, but they will also score a prize of a bunch of luxurious foods to add to your meals, as well as some wine to celebrate and, quite possibly one of the most useful items on this table: a lighter." Alexa grabbed the small plastic lighter and used it to spark a flame. "It's the real deal!"

"FORGET THE LIGHTER, THAT FOOD IS MINE!" Yawped Dedede, his mouth drooling.

"Do we really need the lighter if we have-a Captain Falcon to light it for us?" Mario questioned. "Whatever, that-a food looks delicious!"

"I see most people don't care about the lighter." Reigen folded his arms. "It's best not to let the other team grab it, regardless if we need it or not. If they get their energy and spirits up more than us, then it'll cause a chain reaction that'll lead to our demise, most likely."

Peter wrapped his hand around his neck, nodding. "This guy gets it! We can't let the others enjoy themselves one bit, and that's why I'll be the one to save my team in this challenge!"

"Save us? Looks like the heaviest thing you lift on a daily basis is a hamburger." Johnny ridiculed. "This is a Johnny challenge."

"How about we work together instead of acting like you're going to carry us in this challenge, you muppets!" Gordon scalded.

Alexa then snapped his fingers to get everyone's attention. "Now, let's get down to business! We'll start with Mario."

Mario hopped forward, enthusiastic as usual, and grabbed one of the heavy wooden hammers from the box, he had to grab the one marked with green, as that was the one representing his tribe.

He then stood on a mat that was placed down so he didn't lose his balance or grip due to the sand.

In a blink of an eye, he began spinning around, the rope stretched as the hammer soared through the air and around Mario. After five seconds of building momentum, he let go of the rope, and the hammer rocketed off over to the buoys.

"Wow, he aimed well, but was he strong enough?" Alexa commentated.

The hammer came slamming into the water, right between the red and purple buoy.

"Yikes, we gotta get a closeup of that." Alexa spoke into a walkie talkie. "Is it red or purple?"

Mario gulped as he awaited a response.

"Just barely a purple." The person on the other end of the walkie talkie replied.

"Congratulations, Mario earns ten points!" Alexa clapped. "Mr. Krabs is next!"

Mr. Krabs stumbled over to the hammer and lightly grabbed it, and began spinning around.

"What the, why's he-a grabbing it like it's a feather?!" Wario complained.

The crustacean let go, causing the hammer to soar and land right next to the green buoy.

"There's no doubt about it, Mr. Krabs earned himself just a point! Johnny Bravo is next!"

"Before you complain, I didn't want me' claws to accidentally cut the rope in half!" He defended himself. "Otherwise I probably would've earned even less!"

As Mr. Krabs justified his actions, Johnny strutted up to the hammer and grabbed it. "Nice, this thing's real firm, perfect for my signature Johnny spin. Watch this, for all of you ladies on TV!"

He began spinning around, almost comically and unrealistically fast, before slinging the hammer shockingly far, further than anyone else so far.

Unfortunately for him, it landed right next to a black buoy, tens of meters away from any of the other buoys.

"Darn." Johnny groaned.

"Unfortunately, Johnny lost a point! Papyrus is next!"

"I MAY HAVE SHOWN MY ART-LIKE CUISINE SKILLS, BUT NOW I MUST PROVE MY STRENGTH!" Papyrus said, grabbing one of the hammers from the box. "I SHALL GET THE BEST BUOY IMAGINABLE!"

With a stylish spin and throw, the hammer came tumbling down onto the green buoy.

His eyes popped out at the foolish attempt, and he was left speechless.

"Well, it was the best buoy after all! That is if your favorite color is green." Geoffrey sarcastically commented.

"Papyrus scored himself a measly point! Samus Aran is next!"

"I... SIMPLY CHOKED; I MEANT TO USE MY FULL POWER AND ACCURACY, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE SOME SAND MUST HAVE GOTTEN IN MY EYES." - Papyrus.

Samus wandered up to the hammer and grabbed it, a concentrated yet mean look formed on her face as she closed her eyes upon standing on the pad.

She then began spinning as fast as she could, making sure the hammer was low and nearly touching the ground.

Then, her palms opened up, and it slammed into the water, slightly closer to the red buoy than the purple one.

"A close attempt to the purple buoy, but Samus gets herself six points! Josuke Higashikata is next."

Josuke looked at the box before calling out for his stand. "CRAZY DIAMOND!"

The stand appeared beside him, picking up the wooden hammer ball and getting into position to begin throwing.

Team Laau Pama watched in awe as the rope appeared to be dangling in mid-air, as not a single person on their team could see the stand, much like Team Haupia.

"Is he an esper?!" Reigen watched him. "I don't see anything holding that hammer, he definitely has psychic powers for sure."

With a quick spin and a mighty throw, Crazy Diamond managed to throw the hammer just within the range of the purple buoy, albeit it wasn't a perfect throw.

"Wow! Josuke Higashikata scores ten points for his team! Captain Falcon is next!"

Captain Falcon ran up to the hammer and tested them for any cracks or faults. "This ball is pretty solid, and the rope is neat too!"

He walked over to the mat and, with some caution, he began swinging it. His speed was arguably the quickest anyone had seen so far, and he let go of the hammer with the utmost precision.

Whilst being scarily close to the black buoys at the far back, he still managed to land his hammer within the radius of the purple buoy, scoring his team a lot of points.

"Captain Falcon gets ten points for his team! Dr. Eggman is next."

Wario cupped the ball of the hammer in his hand and snorted. "This will be a piece of cake!"

With spectacular confidence, he began swinging the ball using the rope; his posture was solid and his spinning just got faster and faster.

Eventually, he threw it high into the sky, almost out of sight, but it eventually came crashing back down.

The purple buoy was struck by the hammer, driving it into the water before it came bobbing back up.

"WAHAHAHA! That was-a PERFECT!" Wario posed. "Take-a that, Mario!"

Mario rolled his eyes at his rival's gloating but decided to ignore him entirely and let him have his moment of victory.

"That throw was TOO perfect, I don't want my buoys breaking! Despite this, Wario earns himself ten points. Dr. Eggman is next!"

"GaHA! Finally, a time to shine!" Eggman smirked. "This will be easy, I know circular motion like the back of my glove!"

With confidence similar to Wario, he grabbed the hammer and began swinging it around.

He built up speed for ten seconds, and just before he let go.

"Careful, egghead!" Sonic mocked from afar.

The words reminded him that this game wouldn't be so easy, he had to overcome the hedgehog in order to win the game and continue with his plan to win!

Unfortunately, said words lead to him getting distracted, causing him to tumble over and let go, which made the hammer fly into the adjacent forest behind them.

"W-WAIT! My mind was just clouded with thoughts, give me another chance!" Eggman pleaded.

"A chance is a chance, you don't see me giving one to Johnny despite his poor performance. I'm sorry but you receive no points for that blunder!" Denied Alexa. "At least you didn't lose one. Anyway, Geoffrey Butler is next!"

"Pssh, the weakest attempt by far." Samus tutted. "If our team can't even aim at the ocean, what hope do we have?"

As soon as his name was uttered, Geoffrey walked up to the box, selected a hammer, swung it around and launched it into the ocean all within ten seconds. His posture was well-maintained, and he didn't waste any time doing it.

It crashed just within the radius of the yellow buoy, which was a decent score for his team.

"Ah, I tried to aim for the red one, but it appears I undershot it." He explained. "No matter, I have high hopes in the rest of our team, I assume we're in the lead by a lot already."

"Geoffrey earns three points! Now that we're at the halfway mark, I figured we'd add up all your scores and read them out to you so that you're all aware of how much you're winning or losing." Alexa announced before talking into his walkie talkie some more.

Eventually, he shoved it back into his pocket and read out the scores.

"Team Laau Pama, with 10 from Mario, -1 from Johnny, 6 from Samus, 10 from Captain Falcon, and nothing from Eggman, your total score thus far comes to 25!"

"On the other hand, with 1 from Mr. Krabs, 1 from Papyrus, 10 from Josuke, 10 from Wario and 3 from Geoffrey, their score... also comes to 25!" Alexa stated. "A tie seems a bit likely now, but we'll have to wait and see! Now, Wii Fit Trainer will start us off again!"

With a firm grasp on the hammer's rope, she nodded at it. "I don't do it very often, but I have some experience with hammer throwing, but the ball was much different and a lot heavier than this one. I'll see what I can do, team!"

Whilst her spin was a bit slower than the others, her accuracy and stance was on point, which caused the hammer to travel in the perfect direction, it was now all down to power.

Luckily, if she had been any less precise, it would've been JUST out of the radius of the red buoy, but since her swing was so clean, she managed to get herself 6 points from the red buoy.

She cheered for herself upon discovering her score.

"Wii Fit Trainer just barely gets 6 points! Soldier is next!"

Soldier immediately dived over to the box, grabbing two of the hammers instead of one before chuckling. "I'll show you sorry sacks of scum how it's REALLY done!"

"Excuse me, Soldier, you're only allowed one." Alexa warned.

"WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE SON?" He said, sticking his head unpleasantly close to Alexa's.

"...Me?" He replied, slightly unsure of what to do.

"...Oh." Soldier muttered before tossing one of the hammers back into the box. "Whatever, I'll still score a victory for HAUPIA, or as I like to call it, NEW AMERICA!"

With nothing but insanity driving him, Soldier jumped on the mat and began spinning wildly, and before he knew it, he was beginning to lose balance.

Just before falling over, he let go of the rope and launched the hammer over at an incredible speed.

Unfortunately, it was launched far too low to get any good amount of distance, causing it to land within the radius of the yellow buoy.

"Soldier earns himself three points! Squidward Tentacles is next!"

Squidward snorted as he looked at the hammers. "These aren't even real hammers! What gives?"

"Safety reasons! Sure you'll probably die if the hammer ball collides with your head, but you got a better chance than if it was made of iron!" Alexa joked, albeit his deadpan expression caused a few others in the crowd to get nervous.

"Whatever." The sea creature could do nothing but roll his eyes at such an answer.

He walked up to the mat, and dramatically, he began spinning, his tentacles providing a firm grip on the rope of the hammer.

Eventually, he let go, causing it to glide over to the yellow buoy.

"Well, that's a pretty good score if I do say so myself!" Squidward gloated, proud of himself.

"Nice shot, Mr. Squidward!" Mr. Krabs applauded, causing the squid to groan.

"Squidward also earns himself three points! King Dedede is next!"

"Bwahaha! This tiny ball with a piece of string is for a big king like ME? I think a wrecking ball would've been more like it, but I'll accept this." Dedede grabbed the hammer and began swinging it like a lasso. "If I can use a hammer well, I can use a hammer ball well!"

"Is spinning it like that even allowed?" Gordon whispered to Alexa.

He simply shrugged in response. "You don't have to be too traditional with your throws, so I'll allow it."

The hammer flew into the ocean, right between a black buoy and a purple buoy.

"Oh, this is going to be close..." Alexa gulped. "Let's see which one he got!"

"Clearly it'd be a purple one, a little overshot couldn't spell doom for me!" Dedede roared with laughter. "...Hopefully!"

After some waiting, Alexa gave the answer everyone had been waiting for. "King Dedede scored himself a... black buoy, meaning he, unfortunately, loses a point! Peter Griffin is next!"

Whilst Dedede's jaw dropped with shock and anger, Peter waltzed up to the ball.

"This seems like it'll be easy!" He declared with optimism.

He began spinning the hammer by the rope and let go, his performance was very average, which led to the hammer landing in the radius of the yellow buoy.

"Sweet! Is that good?" Peter asked his team.

Mario gave a slightly gleeful shrug. "It's-a fine! We need some better performances if we want to win, though!"

"Anything's better than the performances of Johnny or Eggman." Samus hissed.

"Peter scores another three points for Laau Pama! Gruntilda Winkybunion is next!"

"This challenge could go two ways from here, which makes it very tense, and I feel like it's a good thing for the survivors to get an idea of how tense and close some of these challenges can and will be." - Alexa.

"Finally, it is Grunty's time to shine!" She cackled. "After my performance, victory shall be mine!"

Gordon groaned at the rhymes. "You don't have to always rhyme."

"Sorry chef, but is my shtick. Now observe, Grunty's score will not be chronic!" Gruntilda proceeded to take a hammer and spun it around, using all of the strength in her body.

When she let go, it drifted over and landed just within the radius of the yellow buoy. The strength wasn't too impressive, but the angle of her throw was just barely accurate enough to land there.

"Three points to Gruntilda! Arataka Reigen is next!"

Reigen grabbed the hammer and looked at it. "Hmm..."

"What's wrong? Never used a hammer ball before?" Squidward chortled.

"Oh, you seem to be underestimating Arataka Reigen, sea monster." He clutched the ball. "I've used them plenty of times."

Albeit he seemed cool on the outside, he was panicking on the inside, he had never used a hammer before, and his only advantage was witnessing how the others threw it.

Upon clutching the hammer ball by the rope, he slowly walked onto the mat and took a deep breath. He began spinning around, his posture was pretty poor, which caused him to almost lose balance a few times whilst building momentum. Eventually, when the speed was good enough, he let go of the hammer, hoping for the best.

After hearing a splash, he looked in the distance and he saw it within the radius of the yellow buoy. Somehow he managed to do well, despite his lack of experience and mediocre strength.

"Not bad." Squidward folded his arms.

"I told you not to underestimate me!" Reigen pointed at his chest.

"Reigen gets three points! Little Mac is next!"

Little Mac stepped forward and grabbed the hammer; his boxing gloves made gripping it a bit of a challenge, but he managed to do so nonetheless.

His spinning was fast, his posture was well-maintained, and his strength was absurd from constant training before the competition.

The hammer traveled through the air, soaring past the green buoy, yellow buoy, red buoy, and eventually landing in between the purple buoy and a black buoy, much like Dedede.

"Not again!" Bawled Dedede. "If we lose another point, I'm gonna be blamin' you for not taking off those bulky boxing gloves!"

Alexa did the usual checking with other staff members before giving a thumbs up to Little Mac. "You barely got yourself ten points! I didn't expect almost everyone here to do so well with this professional sport, that's for sure. Anyway, on to the final two! Gordon Ramsay is next!"

Gordon had a wave of pressure hit him, not only was he the last one to take a shot, but his team appeared to be slacking behind already. It was all down to him...

He grabbed the ball and gave an intense walk over to the mat.

Trying his absolute hardest, Gordon gave the hammer a spin.

For twenty seconds, he did nothing but build momentum, and he was even starting to get dizzy from it. However, he knew that he had to let go or he'd screw up, so he threw the ball.

It was at a great angle, and the power was pretty good. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, and he still had it land within the yellow buoy's range.

"Gordon scores a final three points for his team! Finally, Sonic is next!"

"That stupid hedgehog better screw up..." Eggman grunted. "He'll pay for distracting me with his presence alone!"

Sonic zipped over to the final ball in the box and over to the mat, he threw the ball into the air and caught it. "I think we already won, but I'll give it my best shot!"

He began spinning, yet his spin was so fast that he looked like nothing but a blur to the others.

The final hammer soon entered the ocean as he threw the hammer at the ocean.

Whilst his strength was good, and his accuracy was decent, his spinning speed really made the difference, as the hammer ball went almost as fast as him.

Luckily he had aimed low, so it didn't go out of bounds. Instead, it skipped against the water a couple of times and landed just within the radius of the purple buoy.

"That's a purple! Sonic wins ten points for his team!"

Alexa then clapped. "That's a wrap, most of you did really well! Now, let's add up the scores."

"Team Laau Pama had 10 from Mario, -1 from Johnny, 6 from Samus, 10 from Captain Falcon, nothing from Eggman, 6 from Wii Fit Trainer, and 3 from Squidward, Peter Griffin, Arataka Reigen and Gordon Ramsay! All of it comes to a total of 43 points!"

"As for Team Haupia... they had 1 from Mr. Krabs, 1 from Papyrus, 10 from Josuke, 10 from Wario, 3 from Geoffrey and Soldier, -1 from Dedede, 3 from Gruntilda Winkybunion, 10 from Little Mac, and another 10 from Sonic!"

They awaited the total for Team Haupia.

...

"Their total is..." Alexa held his tongue for extra suspense.

...

"GAH, JUST TELL US ALREADY!" Papyrus yelled.

"50 Points!" Alexa revealed. "Which means that Team Haupia wins by 7 points, which isn't too bad of a lead."

Team Haupia all proceeded to cheer for each other, and for their victory.

"Now! Hurry up and give us that food, Alexa!" Dedede licked his lips. "I'm starving!"

"All of you can carry some of it back to your tribe to put somewhere. Make sure to savor every single bite, as it not only cures your hunger but represents your first victory of the game! Put that lighter to good use, too." Alexa advised. "Now, as for Laau Pama..."

He turned to the losing team, all of which appeared glum or upset.

"Ah, come on." Alexa sighed. "It's not that bad of a loss, you all did pretty well!"

"Well, if it wasn't for a few, we would've won. If Johnny and Eggman both got at least a yellow buoy, we would have tied." Accused Samus.

"Good thing you all get to go back to tribe to decide who to vote off!" Alexa winked. "You'll soon be taken to your first Tribal Council, and every single one of you will vote for someone on your team to eliminate. Your team may shrink, but hopefully, your spirits won't!"

"First loss of the game. Pretty embarrassing, but I'm definitely not planning on leaving from it! And luckily, it doesn't look like I'm a target, though Johnny is definitely one, and he's in my alliance." - Captain Falcon.

Both teams departed, one happy and taking home a generous prize as well as immunity, the other one will lose one of their members by the end of the day.

* * *

**Team Laau Pama: Day 2**

Survivors: Mario - Johnny Bravo - Samus Aran - Captain Falcon - Dr. Eggman - Wii Fit Trainer - Squidward Tentacles - Peter Griffin - Arataka Reigen - Gordon Ramsay

The ten losing members of Laau Pama certainly took a dive in spirits. After all, they lost the first-ever challenge in the game, and the score wasn't as close as they would've wanted it to be.

Nonetheless, they all had to vote somebody out for Tribal Council. Some people, however, had a good idea of who should leave this competition.

"It's best if I say this now before anyone else does." Samus proceeded to point over to Johnny and Eggman. "Those two performed the worst in the challenge, neither of them scored a point, an Johnny even made us lose a point! That's why I'll definitely be voting one of them, and right now, I'm leaning more towards Johnny than Eggman."

"Psssh, now! C'mon." Johnny began sweating. "I don't think I deserve to go out over a small slip-up."

"Small?" Gordon raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't call that disaster of a throw a "small" slip-up, you were way off from scoring us actual points."

Eggman folded his arms. "Yes, I admit, that irreverent hedgehog threw me off of my throw! However, technically speaking, I still didn't do the worst, so I think that's why I should stay so I can prove myself next challenge!"

"I'm incredibly nervous right about now, yet if I just keep calm for a bit longer, then they'll vote off that imbecile with the pompadour, and I'll be safe! I'm not going to let myself go out this early, that's for certain." - Dr. Eggman.

Johnny continued to act nervous as others began agreeing with Samus.

"An arrogant tool won't help us at all! Especially when he's so bad at throwing that I'm surprised that he didn't kill someone with that hammer ball." Squidward groaned. "He's the main reason we lost!"

"I don't think there's much arguing over it, Johnny is probably going to take my vote, unless someone argues otherwise well enough." Reigen shrugged. "I'm already starving, and I wouldn't feel that way if it weren't for those two costing us the challenge."

"No disrespect to your hair, but I feel like everyone else is right. I'll just go with the others on this one." Peter sighed. "Sorry."

Wii Fit Trainer simply scratched the back of her neck. "I don't know who to vote, honestly. If everyone's voting Johnny then I guess there's no point picking somebody else, it'll just make me a target."

"Why? Were you planning to pick someone else other than him?" Questioned Gordon.

"It doesn't matter, I'll just vote Johnny." She replied.

All but Captain Falcon and Mario had given their opinion, and Mario didn't look like he was going to argue against Johnny's elimination. This meant that it was all down to Captain Falcon to save his alliance partner.

"I don't agree with the vote!" He revealed. "I think that your ways of picking people to eliminate are too arbitrary."

"Arbitrary?" Samus proceeded to tut. "It's not arbitrary, it's justified."

"Yeah, I get it! You want Johnny out because he scored the worst, which is fair, but let's not forget that he at least TRIED to get in the range of the buoy. Eggman launched his hammer exactly behind him, which is a lot more pathetic! We can at least tell from Johnny's throw that he has strength, which is a very important asset for this team. May I remind you all that around half of us couldn't throw further than the yellow buoy?" Captain Falcon accounted for the poor performance of Johnny.

Squidward, Reigen, Peter and Gordon were left speechless at the small indirect jab.

"If we get a challenge on raw strength, then having an out-of-shape scientist over someone who technically threw the hammer a lot further than ANY of us would be a grave mistake!" He added. "Come on guys, think about how this will affect the future challenges."

"You have a point, but I don't think I'm going to change my position based on a "what if" situation." Reigen shook his head. "Apologies but, Johnny gets my vote."

"Yeah! Don't try insulting us by saying that we were too weak to get past the yellow buoy, either!" Squidward spat.

Whilst those two were still for voting off Johnny, Peter and Gordon began thinking more thoroughly.

"This porn actor is right!" Peter bellowed. "I mean, a challenge about strength MUST come before a challenge about aiming, right?"

"Porn actor...?" Captain Falcon repeated to himself. "What is he talking about? Is my suit really that weird?"

"I'm not going to vote either just yet, I'm still thinking about it. It seems more of a gamble to keep either. Do we even know what Eggman is good at?" Gordon pointed to him. "You got half a minute to convince me."

Eggman proceeded to clear his throat, like he had been preparing for this moment. "Well you see! I have an incredibly high IQ, I'm a mad scient- I mean, I'm a regular old scientist after all! I also have reasonable strength, and my accuracy and timing may appear awful, but trust me, it was that rotten hedgehog that threw me off with his presence alone! I feel like I'd offer more than this pompous meathead."

"It seems-a like we have to decide between brains or brawns!" Mario noticed. "I know-a Eggman from the Olympics I-a did with Sonic, and he wasn't too pleasant of a person to be around either, so I may have to-a vote him."

"Shouldn't this be an easy decision?!" Eggman asked. "I literally outclass him in everything except maybe strength! Like that'll be able to carry the entirety of this team! Sure, go ahead, continue to vote me based on an event that's completely unrelated to Survivor you foolish plumber!"

To many, it was clear that Eggman was beginning to lose his cool at the situation, which not only contrasted against his mindset earlier in the argument, but it also definitely didn't help his case at all.

It appeared that the team was now beginning to become more and more unsure of who to vote thanks to Captain Falcon's defense.

"Worst case scenario is that I have to use this idol..." - Captain Falcon.

"Hey! I'm not dim, I just overshot it, and it doesn't matter by how much!" Johnny proceeded to lean in on Eggman. "I've had enough of hearin' how much you outclass me."

"Let's not-a get into a fight here!" Mario pleaded, standing inbetween the two. "Let's-a just have some time to think and go to-a Tribal Council." He suggested. "I think that

Captain Falcon, Johnny, Mario and Peter were for voting Eggman. The same couldn't be said for Eggman, Samus, Reigen and Squidward, who were all for voting Johnny instead. Wii Fit Trainer and Gordon couldn't decide on who to vote.

Soon, they all left for Tribal Council, some feeling confident, some filled with dread, and some were still thinking about who to vote!

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 2**

The place lived up to the ominous and intense name, with dim yet intense torches being the only source of light in the area. There was a small path for survivors to entered, as well as two wooden paths, one leading to the voting area and the other one leading to the boats where the eliminated would go. Not to mention that there were ten torches placed behind the stumps that were apparently the seats.

On the torches were labels with the names of the survivors on them, which were crudely stuck on.

"Please sit down on the stump that's in front of the torch with your name on it." Alexa asked, scaring a couple of the survivors with his unexpectedly sudden appearance. His usual cheeky facial expression was now replaced with a more serious and sombre look, which fit the mood.

The survivors proceeded to awkwardly sit down on their designated seats.

"Laau Pama. Upon a big defeat at Survivor's first ever challenge, you have been sent here to vote and eliminate one of your tribe's members. This could be seen as a good thing, as you may be lifting dead weight off of your team. At the same time, this could also be seen as a terrible thing, as one of you could be a potential target for someone else. Captain Falcon, what do you think was the cause of your team's loss?" Alexa pointed to him.

"I like to think that it was less of an accuracy problem and more of a strength problem. A lot of people on this tribe couldn't really throw beyond the yellow buoy, and it's not an insult, it's just the truth. If just one of them got a purple buoy instead, then it would have been a tie. That's why I'm defending Johnny, a candidate for elimination." Captain Falcon answered.

His reply caused Squidward to dramatically roll his eyes.

"Well, that gives me a good leeway to this next question: Johnny, do you think that you'll be going home tonight, especially when you're apparently a big candidate for elimination?" Alexa asked once more.

"I think that I won't! My buddy Captain Falcon defended me, so I'm thinkin' that these people will have a change of heart and will vote for Eggman instead." Johnny explained. "Besides, I'll probably be fine even if most people want me gone."

The last sentence he gave caused a few to scratch their heads at the lack of logic behind it. Captain Falcon, however, knew what he was talking about.

Just to check if it was there, he reached into his pocket to get a feel for the unknown shield idol, and to his surprise... he didn't feel it.

"GH!" He audibly gasped. Did he leave it back at the tribe? He must have done so, as stealing is forbidden in this game.

A wave of shame and fear overcame him as Johnny proceeded to casually lie back on his stump, feeling confident that he wouldn't be voted off due to the idol's powers.

"Well well well! It's time we get to the voting." Alexa wrung his hands. "My favourite part of this whole show!"

One by one, the survivors got up and casted their votes:

Dr. Eggman - I have no choice, I have to vote Johnny! Not that it's a bad choice, of course, since crushing his ego like an apple will be entertaining to watch! (Johnny Bravo)

Johnny Bravo - Ol' Johnny ain't scared of a close shave, especially with Captain Falcon's idol! As for who I'm voting for, it's gonna be that fat scientist dude. (Dr. Eggman)

Samus Aran - I'm going to be voting for Johnny. Not only is he an arrogant, egotistical weirdo, but he's awful at challenges and cost us the game. He has to suffer the consequences. (Johnny Bravo)

Captain Falcon - Sorry Eggman but, a man's gotta stand with his alliance. Hopefully I can manage to save Johnny, even without my shield idol. (Dr. Eggman)

Wii Fit Trainer - I still haven't decided on who to vote, I think I have to make this one a little bit random just in case I get penalized for not voting in time. (Unknown)

"Survivors!" Alexa called out. "Before I begin, would anyone like to play an idol?"

...

...

"Eh?" Johnny glanced over to Captain Falcon, who had his palm over his face with embarrassment. "A betrayal?!"

...

"That's enough time. It's time for me to read out the votes!" Alexa smirked.

***VOTING TIME***

First vote goes to Johnny Bravo.

Second vote goes to Dr. Eggman. One vote Eggman, one vote Johnny.

Third vote goes to Peter Griffin. One vote Peter, one vote Eggman and one vote Johnny. (Peter's jaw drops with shock, and even with a bit of fear of a surprise blindside)

Fourth vote goes to Johnny Bravo. Two votes Johnny, one vote Peter and one vote Eggman.

Fifth vote also goes to Johnny Bravo. Three votes Johnny, one vote Peter and one vote Eggman. ("GAHA!" Eggman snickers)

Sixth vote, again, goes to Johnny Bravo. That's four votes Johnny, one vote Peter and one vote Eggman. (Captain Falcon gives a sigh of defeat)

Seventh vote goes to Eggman. Four votes Johnny, two votes Eggman and one vote Peter.

Eighth vote goes to Eggman. Four votes Johnny, three votes Eggman and one vote Peter. (Eggman's devious smile begins to slowly fade away)

Ninth vote ALSO goes to Eggman. That's four votes Johnny and Eggman, and one vote Peter.

"And the first one going home at 5-4-1 will be..." Alexa held his tongue, causing Eggman and Johnny to tremble.

...

...

...

"Johnny Bravo... IS SAFE!" He announced. "Dr. Eggman, hand me the torch behind you, your time in Survivor has been cut short."

Eggman recoiled in shock at the news. "H-HOW?!"

"I'm more confused at who voted for me!" Peter questioned.

"SILENCE, YOU IDIOT!" He snapped, causing Peter to shrink into his seat. "I try to be as calm as possible yet you imbeciles vote me off over some lukewarm argument that Captain Falcon gave you! If you were intelligent you would have voted for Johnny, but obviously it appears that none of you have a LICK of intelligence whatsoever!"

"Yikes, he really IS a mad scientist." Reigen chuckled. "I don't feel bad about his elimination, that's for sure."

"Excuse me Eggman, please grab your torch and pass it here." Alexa commanded.

"...Oh forget it!" He groaned, snatching his torch and walking over to the host.

They all watched as Alexa snuffed the torch, the faint hiss causing Eggman to twitch with anger.

"Please walk that way Eggman, and please calm dow-" Alexa was then punched right in the jaw by the enraged eliminee. "Guards!"

Two guards, both managing to tower over Eggman, grabbed his arms and dragged him down the pathway.

"I'll get my revenge! Mark my words! MARK MY WOOOORDS!" He screamed as he was taken out of sight.

Wii Fit Trainer held her hand out for Alexa, to which he accepted. "Ah, thank you."

He rubbed his jaw a bit before continuing. "Well, I WAS going to say that Eggman had an interesting gameplan and was a very calm and collected contestant but... on second thought, I think I'll just end the first ever episode of Survivor by saying... good riddance!"

Eggman's Last Words: "How dare they vote me off! I'm still incredibly angry over the whole ordeal, and I will be getting my revenge in the near future! Just when they think that the show's going all well, I'll make sure to crush their dreams as payment for crushing mine!"

* * *

**VOTES**

Dr. Eggman - Johnny Bravo, Captain Falcon, Peter Griffin, Mario, Gordon Ramsay.

Johnny Bravo - Dr. Eggman, Samus Aran, Arataka Reigen, Squidward Tentacles.

Peter Griffin - Wii Fit Trainer.

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Unknown

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon & Johnny Bravo.

Idol of ? - Unknown

Idol of ? - Unknown

The ? Idol - Unknown

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

Team Laau Pama (Green Team)

\- Mario

\- Johnny Bravo

\- Samus Aran

\- Captain Falcon

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Squidward Tentacles

\- Peter Griffin

\- Arataka Reigen

\- Gordon Ramsay

Team Haupia (White Team)

\- Mr. Krabs

\- Papyrus

\- Josuke Higashikata

\- Wario

\- Geoffrey Butler

\- Soldier

\- King Dedede

\- Gruntilda Winkybunion

\- Little Mac

\- Sonic

* * *

Hello! RandomStoryMaker123 here to say thanks for reading the first chapter of my crossover fanfiction to the very end! I made one of these crossover ones a few years back and even finished it, but I didn't publish it due to how awful it was in hindsight. Luckily, this new one is a lot better in my opinion at least, although it is a bit of a read. Let me know who you're rooting for in the reviews/comments or whatever, and any feedback, positive or negative, is welcome. You're also welcome to point out typos, since I type really fast and they're bound to happen! Last thing I want to mention, this fanfiction takes a bit of inspiration from TJBambi's Survivor series, he's done a lot of these and they're pretty good! Make sure to check him out at some point.


	4. Episode 2 - No Respect for the Butler!

EPISODE 2: No Respect for the Butler!

* * *

**Team Haupia: Day 3**

Survivors: Mr. Krabs - Papyrus - Josuke Higashikata - Wario - Geoffrey Butler - Soldier - King Dedede - Gruntilda Winkybunion - Little Mac - Sonic

The day started off bright for Team Haupia. They didn't have to worry about elimination unlike the team they beat, and so they woke up in a great mood.

"Hey, Geoffrey!" Dedede called out. "Fetch me some more watermelon, I ran out!"

"Sorry, but it appears that we're all out of food altogether." Geoffrey revealed.

"H-how?!" He growled. "I'm still hungry!"

He shrugged in response to Dedede's shock. "I don't know, but it appears that constantly eating food results in it depleting, just a hypothesis."

"I don't have time for your witty replies." The penguin grumbled. "Now we gotta go back to that stupid rice. At least get someone else to cook it!"

"You call that food a prize?! Sure it tasted good, but what's the point if there's so little? Only three watermelons is definitely too little. Do they want me, King of Dreamland, to starve in here?!" - King Dedede.

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Papyrus gasped. "ARE YOU SAYING YOU WOULDN'T WANT THE GREAT PAPYRUS - MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD - TO SERVE YOU MY FINE DINING?!"

"Unfortunately for you Mr. Bones, that obese penguin has a point. If the rice and beans aren't ridiculously crunchy, then they're all joint!" Gruntilda complained. "It's painfully obvious that you don't know how to cook. Maybe you should let someone competent do it, you naive mook!"

Little Mac decided to break up the impending argument by criticizing the skeleton's cooking in a more light-hearted way. "I mean it's just barely edible, just try cooking it for longer, or maybe use our lighter to get the flames bigger."

"HMM... VALID AND NICE CRITICISM. IF YOU WANT THE FOOD BURNT, THEN I SHALL DO AS YOU WISH!" Papyrus posed before tossing the rice and beans into the clay pot.

"Burnt?" He raised an eyebrow. "That's not what I meant."

"SILENCE, HUMAN!" He snapped. "THIS TAKES CAUTION, PRECISION, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, PEACE AND QUIET!"

Little Mac gave up and changed the subject. "Say, where is everyone else?"

"Mr. Krabs, Wario, and Soldier went hunting for idols. Sonic and Josuke both went off to do something in secret, but I imagine it's also idol hunting. Would you like me to go and fetch them, Papyrus?"

"AHEM, I AM "THE GREAT PAPYRUS", THANK YOU! ALSO YES, GO AND GRAB THE OTHERS!" Papyrus nodded frantically.

Geoffrey rolled his eyes, before starting to stroll off. "Alright then, The Pompous Papyrus."

"Three days in and I'm already tired of some of these ignorant teammates. It is my duty to be a great butler and servant, but these people can't even spare any manners. Even the Banks family manages to be more tolerable than some of these bad-mannered people." - Geoffrey Butler.

Meanwhile, in the surrounding forest, three people were searching for an idol to use.

"Those advantages sound too-a good to pass up!" Believed Wario. "Make sure to tell me if you find one, ya crusty old lobster!"

"First of all, I'm a crab!" Mr. Krabs corrected. "And what makes you think that I'd let you know?!"

"YEAH! If I find an idol, you will have to pry it from my cold, dead hands! Not only that, but Alexa forbids anyone from prying it from my cold, dead hands, or anyone else's cold dead hands!" Soldier explained. "In conclusion, you will never be able to pry it from my cold, dead hands!"

"STOP REPEATING THAT!" Wario yawped. "Anyway, he's right! But, here's the deal..."

He leaned into both of them and gave a sinister grin. "If any of us find it, we'll share it with each other if we're ever threatened, deal?"

"Yer' talking about an alliance?!" Mr. Krabs gawked. "Seriously? I'd never pair up with ye in a thousand years! You're a smelly, fat and loud freakshow all in one package, ARKARKARKARK!"

Whilst he was laughing, Wario's face went disgruntled. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that so I don't get sent off for-a breaking your face."

"I SHALL JOIN YOUR ALLIANCE!" Soldier announced, sending his hand out. "BUT THIS IS NOW MY ALLIANCE, SO SHAKE MY HAND TO JOIN MY ALLIANCE!"

"Wah?" Wario scratched his head in confusion. "Whatever! This is a deal, and if you-a ever break it, your face will be shattered to pieces."

"And if you do that, I'll get that hippie with the stupid haircut to fix my face, then I'll break yours!" He spat.

Mr. Krabs groaned as he began walking off. "What a healthy alliance they seem to have..."

Just before he went out of sight, Geoffrey appeared from the trees.

"Ah, hello there Eugene Harold Krabs!" He greeted. "The Pompous Papyrus would like you and the others you were just with to come back to the tribe, the food is cooking."

"Eurgh, I hate that guy's cooking." Mr. Krabs gagged. "Makes me appreciate me' mother's cooking a lot more!"

He then turned around and yelled over to Soldier and Wario.

"AYE! WE GOTTA HEAD BACK TO TRIBE!" He hollered.

The three then headed back to the tribe, as Geoffrey continued searching for Josuke and Sonic, who was nowhere to be seen or heard.

Eager to find them, he spent the next hour searching for them across the island without going too close to the enemy tribe.

After searching all over the island, he gave up and wiped a few beads of sweat from his brow.

"Well, I assume they're either spying on the enemies, which I don't want to get involved in, or they're back!" He concluded before beginning to walk back.

On his journey home, he noticed something bizarre to the left of him.

A tree, fairly distant from the others in the forest. It wasn't that out of place until he saw a thick branch sticking out of a hole in the tree.

"What in the..." Geoffrey analyzed the sight.

His analysis ended with him tugging on the branch to remove it from the hole, and as he did so, he discovered that the branch had a thick piece of string on the end of it, that was connected to the hole.

He pulled on it a bit more and...

*THUMP*

A wooden statue fell from the leaves of the tree and onto the dirty ground of the forest.

"My my, what do we have here for Geoffrey!" He gave a grin before grabbing it.

It was a very unique looking idol, it resembled an oval mirror, and even had glass on one side just like one.

"A mirror idol? I suppose this must reflect votes, going by logic." He slipped it into his pocket. "I guess I've finally gotten an advantage!"

He happily walked back to the tribe with his idol hidden away.

When he got back, he saw everyone eating their meal, as well as the missing Josuke and Sonic.

"Ah, I was spending an hour looking for you two! Where were you?" Geoffrey asked calmly.

"Josuke and I checked up on the other team to discover who got eliminated." Said Sonic, looking oddly excited.

"I'm glad Egghead isn't around anymore. Without him, we won't have to worry about any of the evil schemes that he'd likely use! Everyone's now safe, and I can just focus on winning the competition for myself from now on." - Sonic.

"It was Eggman, that tall fat scientist guy. He's apparently a pretty evil person according to Sonic." Josuke added. "He's apparently super smart, so they just lost a valuable member."

"Ohoho! Already an evil, scheming scientist is eliminated? Now that the threatening cliche is out of the competition, Grunty's victory is fated!" Gruntilda announced, clapping with joy.

"Speaking of evil cliches..." Josuke muttered to himself, directing his eyes over to the witch.

"Well, is there any food left for me?" Geoffrey cleared his throat. "You all seem to be enjoying that meal."

Little Mac nodded. "Yeah, the meal is a lot better than usual! Papyrus took my advice to cook it for longer."

"Still sucks." Wario spat.

"I'M GLAD YOU APPRECIATE IT! UNFORTUNATELY, HOWEVER, THERE'S NONE LEFT FOR YOU GEOFFREY, I GUESS WE ALL FORGOT ABOUT YOU." Papyrus pouted. "IT PAINS ME TO SEE SOMEBODY WON'T BE ABLE TO ENJOY MY COOKING..."

Geoffrey proceeded to laugh it off. "Oh no! Don't worry about me, the one who fetched everyone for you all! I had an apple and two small carrots this morning, that should hopefully keep me from collapsing dead from the lack of food. Maybe the calories in an apple would round up to 2000, the daily intake that I usually have."

"Hmmph, well before I was starting to get tired of them, but I volunteer to run around like a fool and round up everyone, and they forget about me. No respect for the Butler! That's for sure." - Geoffrey Butler.

* * *

**Team Laau Pama: Day 3**

Survivors: Mario - Johnny Bravo - Samus Aran - Captain Falcon - Wii Fit Trainer - Squidward Tentacles - Peter Griffin - Arataka Reigen - Gordon Ramsay

It was mid-day, and the survivors went about their usual business, the only difference being a slight increase in the food they ate due to Eggman's elimination, as well as Eggman himself being gone.

Since the vote, the team had split into two groups.

Mario, Captain Falcon, Peter Griffin, and Gordon Ramsay were in a group of four, all of which had voted for Eggman last night.

Samus, Squidward, Reigen and Wii Fit Trainer were also in a group of four, as they - barring Wii Fit Trainer - voted for Johnny.

As for Johnny himself, he was nowhere to be seen since last night and was still bitter over Captain Falcon not using the idol to help him out, even if it would've turned out to be unnecessary.

"So, who's next?" Samus asked the group.

"Huh?" Reigen questioned. "I thought we were only here because we voted for Johnny, I didn't know this was some sort of alliance."

"Well, I never said it was an alliance. I just bet that since they're also in a group of their own, that they'd probably target one of us." She explained. "They outnumber us, anyways, but that's unless we get one of them onto our side."

"You think they're targeting us?" Squidward rhetorically questioned. "I think people are just going to continue voting on performance instead of clumping into groups."

Wii Fit Trainer nodded. "I agree. They argued to not vote people on arbitrary factors, and wouldn't voting people off based on who they voted for be a little arbitrary?"

Before Samus could argue back, someone came stumbling from behind.

"Oh, hey ladies... octopus... the guy with orange hair." Johnny greeted sloppily, he looked incredibly tired and messy, yet somehow his pompadour was still untouched.

"You look awful, what happened?" Wii Fit Trainer asked, concern in her voice.

"Well you see, I slept between two trees, err, the usual." He responded, attempting to look casual. "Just got a bit muddy in the process."

"Ghaha!" Squidward snorted. "What braindead moron would sleep between two trees when we have shelter!"

Johnny simply folded his arms. "Well... that filthy Captain betrayed me. I'm lookin' to get revenge, any of you ladies want to join me?"

"Betrayed you? What did he do? He voted for you!" Reigen reminded. "That doesn't sound very traitor-like to me."

"He had an idol yet he didn't use it on me, even though we were in an alliance. Don't worry, those days of trusting him are over." Johnny shook his head with disappointment.

"Still doesn't sound like a betrayal when he convinced a lot of people to vote for Eggman over you, maybe he was just confide-"

Samus shot her hand over Reigen's mouth and nodded to Johnny. "We'll help you eliminate Captain Falcon if you join our group. We'll outnumber them!"

"Using Johnny as a gullible extra vote is an amazing idea. He'd listen to anything a woman says, so manipulating him to do my bidding will be beyond easy, not to mention the only other girl on the team is also on my side." - Samus Aran.

"With looks like that, how could I decline a group with two smokin' hot mamas?" Johnny grinned before dashing over and sitting right next to Samus. "Though I'll keep my distance, you two ladies are married."

Both of them looked confused at his comment.

"Not saying I'd go for a lousy meathead like you but I'm not married." Samus stated.

"Me neither?" Wii Fit Trainer added.

"Rats! Captain Falcon lied about that too, I guess I definitely can't trust a man who's sabotaging my attempt to get with those ladies. Good thing I don't have to listen to him anymore." - Johnny Bravo.

Johnny shook his head. "Forget about it, I thought wrong."

"So, we're going to vote off Captain Falcon?" Squidward asked. "Why him?"

"Well we now know that he has an idol, so he could be a big threat to us unless we take him down without him getting suspicious. Not to mention he's incredibly strong and fast, so he'll likely win this game if we let him stick around for too long." Justified Samus. "The next time we lose, we're voting him off, then we'll pick off the weaker ones like Peter and Gordon before finally eliminating Mario. I don't know what to do from there, and I'm not sure if we'll be on the same team forever knowing Alexa."

"Looks like Samus already has it planned out. I can't believe that I'm going to be safe for a long long time just because I voted for Johnny, but I'm not gonna complain!" - Arataka Reigen.

Squidward nodded. "Well, you convinced me, that's for sure."

"Yeah, I'm not arguing with that either." Said Wii Fit Trainer. "It'll be awkward cooking since we'll have to be near them."

"Just don't make eye contact, that chef's stare is so cold that I swear it can read minds." Johnny warned.

Meanwhile, the other group was at the tribe, they weren't interacting much, but Mario was taken off guard when he discovered the eccentric Captain Falcon looking a bit more glum than usual.

"What's-a wrong, Falcon?" Mario asked, looking at his face. "You-a look down!"

"Ah, well, I haven't seen Johnny in a while, and I feel pretty bad." Captain Falcon sighed. "He thinks I betrayed him."

"So what? You're the reason he's still on this island in the first place." Argued Gordon. "You're telling me he thinks that saving someone is an act of betrayal?"

Captain Falcon shrugged. "Well, looks like I gotta show you this to make you understand. I might as well do it, since I bet the others are plotting to vote out Johnny anyways."

"Since they decided to split into a group away from us, I think they're now going against the four of us too!" Concluded Peter. "I think we're gonna be in big trouble if we don't team up with Johnny and vote them out."

"Wait, we're targets just because of who we voted for?" Gordon shook his head. "*CENSORED* off with that, I don't believe it."

"Samus is very competent, so I-a can see her doing that with the others!" Mario gulped. "Which means that we-a could be targeted."

"...Maybe. I think we'll have to find out what they're up to one way or the other, because I hate being left in the dark like this." Gordon admitted. "I doubt I'd get voted off myself, but it could be Johnny or even you, Captain Falcon. Maybe Johnny joined the others, considering you two fell out with each other yesterday."

Captain Falcon then went pale, Johnny joining the other group and ditching the alliance because of a misunderstanding does make a lot of sense.

Regardless, he decided to shake his head and deny it. "I don't think he'd do something like that. Let's just try and win tomorrow's challenge and see what happens from there, maybe the others will finally group up with us. Maybe not everything they talk about has to do with who to eliminate, right?"

"Possibly." Gordon shrugged. "All I know is that I don't trust Samus or Squidward, Samus seems incredibly hostile and reserved, almost like she's constantly hiding something. Squidward, on the other hand, seems to have his head up his own ass."

For the rest of the day, barring dinner and sleeping, the two groups kept their distance, Samus and her group ignored the others entirely, aside from basic manners.

* * *

**Challenge: Day 4**

For the second time, all survivors were lined up at a beach, the absence of Eggman had already been revealed to Haupia thanks to Josuke and Sonic.

Alexa held up a medium-sized picture of Eggman.

"No no! He's not dead, I just thought I'd tribute all eliminated survivors by showing you them on a picture. Eggman was eliminated last night if you couldn't already tell, and he punched me in the face too!" He chuckled. "It still aches, but that's not important anymore. What IS important is this next challenge."

There was a large mat that was spread across the sand, it looked like a tennis court, just without a net in the middle.

"The challenge for today was a personal favorite of mine, back in school." He proceeded to hold up a round, squishy red ball. "It's a dodgeball challenge!"

"Dodgeball? Oh *censored* me." Gordon cracked a smile. "This is gonna be a disaster."

"Nine members from each team will be on one side of this large court. During the challenge, you are NOT allowed to cross the middle line, doing so will mark you as out. If you're hit with a ball, you're out, but if someone catches it before it touches the ground, the person who threw it at you is out." Alexa explained. "You're all familiar with dodgeball right? There's just one difference... you can hit them above the shoulders too!"

"Oh come on, that's-a just cruel!" Mario pouted.

Samus placed her hands on her hips. "What about Team Haupia, who has one extra member?"

"Ah, well, I'll just randomly choose who to eliminate using my phone!" Alexa revealed.

...

"What? Not everything needs to be flashy." He said as he picked a random person on Haupia to be eliminated via his phone. "Sonic, you're sitting out!"

"HANG ON! SONIC IS THE FASTEST ONE ON OUR TEAM, HE'S OUR SAVING GRACE!" Papyrus began begging on his hands and knees to Alexa. "NOT HIM!"

"Yeah, sorry buddy but it's a no." Alexa shook his head.

Almost immediately after denying his pleading, Papyrus adjusted his cape with an arrogant smile. "NO MATTER! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL HELP THE TEAM AS BEST HE CAN!"

"It's a bummer that I gotta sit out, but I know my team has some heavy hitters: Little Mac is pretty fast and is just as strong as me, Josuke has his weird stand thing, which makes him pretty powerful, King Dedede and Wario are big targets and are slow, but both could take a few out if they get a ball. Overall, I got high hopes that we will win this!" - Sonic.

The survivors proceeded to stand on the mat, Laau Pama on the left side, Haupia on the right side.

"Look, guys, I know you're ignoring us for some reason, but can we put whatever we did to one side and work as a team? If we don't coordinate or help each other out then we'll be back to Tribal Council!" Captain Falcon pleaded.

"Don't worry, I'll help everyone out." Wii Fit Trainer assured.

Johnny didn't even turn his head towards him.

"Survivors... there are three balls right next to the middle line! You may go to them in three..."

"Two..."

"One..."

Alexa blew a whistle, indicating for them to begin.

In Laau Pama, Captain Falcon, Samus, and Johnny Bravo went for the balls first.

In Haupia, Little Mac, Josuke, and Soldier went for the balls.

"I HAVE THE DODGEBALL! TAKE THIS YOU SCUM!" Soldier wheezed as he whizzed the ball over to Reigen.

He dodged out the way, thanks to Soldier announcing his plan right before acting upon it.

Johnny took aim at the taunting mercenary, and the ball just barely grazed Soldier's knee.

"Aww... I'm out." He grunted, walking off the court.

Samus and Captain Falcon threw their balls in sync, both just barely missing Mr. Krabs and Gruntilda.

"GAH!" Mr. Krabs cried out.

"You may be young and healthy! Though you shall never be able to hit Grunty!" She mocked.

Little Mac then threw the ball at Falcon, to counter his throw.

Luckily, the bounty hunter just barely managed to move out the way, causing the ball to fly past and hit Peter in the stomach.

"Aww crap! I didn't even get to grab the ball." Peter moaned.

"So far, Soldier and Peter Griffin are out!"

Josuke was currently the last one with the ball, and he used his stand, Crazy Diamond, to throw the ball at Samus.

She was taken off guard by the ball, and just before it hit her...

Mario jumped up and snatched the ball at the last second, causing Josuke to be out.

"Nice-a try!" He waved over to him.

"Damn it! How did he manage to jump up so high?!" Josuke complained, walking off.

Using the ball he caught, Mario threw it at his rival, Wario.

Unfortunately, it was caught in the crossfire of another ball, causing both to tumble onto the mat.

Wario then noticed the ball roll up to him and grabbed it, taking aim at Mario.

The plumber jumped over the ball that was thrown at him as another ball managed to hit Wario in the head.

"Take that, and take a shower!" Reigen teased.

"WAAAAAH!?" Wario gasped. "I'll-a get you one day, Mario!"

As he stomped off, Mr. Krabs grabbed two balls and threw both of them onto the court, not aiming properly.

Despite this, he managed to hit Squidward and Johnny.

"Sorry Mr. Squidward, but yer out! ARKARKARKARK!" Mr. Krabs smirked.

"Grr..." The squid growled.

As he was gloating, Mr. Krabs was hit by Wii Fit Trainer.

This caused Squidward to laugh in retaliation, as Mr. Krabs sadly walked off.

"Mario, Samus, Captain Falcon, Wii Fit Trainer, Reigen, and Gordon are left on Laau Pama! Whilst Papyrus, Geoffrey, Dedede, Gruntilda and Little Mac are left on Haupia!"

Just as Alexa finished, Samus launched a ball, that not only hit Gruntilda on the head but bounced off and managed to hit Dedede as well, making both of them eliminated.

"Grr, that throw was hardly fair! Hit me on the head again with that ball, if you dare." Gruntilda threatened.

"NOOO! C'mon boxer kid, butler, and bonehead! You guys gotta win this for us!" Begged Dedede.

"DON'T WORRY! THEY WILL NEVER HIT THE GREA-" Papyrus was interrupted by a ball hitting him square on his head, causing him to stomp his feet in anger. "YOU INTERRUPTED ME!"

"Oh no..." he gulped. "C'mon, we can't lose!"

"Haupia only has two members left. Those being Little Mac and Geoffrey Butler!" Alexa announced.

Little Mac grabbed two balls and threw them at Gordon and Wii Fit Trainer.

Whilst Wii Fit Trainer managed to dodge it, Gordon couldn't and was hit on the leg.

"Bloody Hell, I couldn't even hit a single person during that." He shook his head. "Make up for my shocking performance, team!"

They spent the next two minutes attempting to hit each other. Luckily for Geoffrey, most people were focusing on Little Mac over him.

Little Mac managed to hit Reigen out before going in for another throw at Wii Fit Trainer.

This time she couldn't dodge it, as Little Mac knew that she was going to dodge to the left, and threw it slightly more to the left as retaliation.

He then picked up another ball and just barely managed to hit Mario's foot with it.

"It's down to Captain Falcon and Samus to beat the rampaging Little Mac alongside Geoffrey! Who will win?!" Alexa watched with awe.

As Little Mac went for one last throw, his streak was unfortunately cut short by Samus grabbing the ball.

"Almost..." He sighed. "At least we still got Geoffrey!"

"Oh come on, a butler?" Samus rolled her eyes. "That's not gonna help you out, Little Ma-"

A ball bopped her on the head without her knowing, causing her to freeze in position.

"You're out, Samus!" Geoffrey winked.

Astonished and aggravated, she stormed off the court, leaving Captain Falcon and Geoffrey.

"May the best win." Captain Falcon nodded to him.

"Pssh..." Johnny raised his eyebrow. "Cheesy."

"And to you too, sir." Geoffrey replied to his opponent.

Around ten seconds of dead silence and suspense passed, both teams felt incredibly nervous watching, and even Alexa felt the intensity of it.

The fast, strong and famous Captain Falcon, versus the witty and the unintentionally stealthy Geoffrey Butler.

Killing the suspenseful buildup, the bounty hunter dashed over to the ball and threw it at Geoffrey, his angle purposefully awkward to make it harder to catch.

Geoffrey simply dodged out of the way and grabbed it once it hit the ground, he then threw it oddly high into the air as he scrambled to get another ball.

As Captain Falcon moved out of the way, the other ball that Geoffrey went for was already hurtling towards him at a high speed.

"He won't make it in ti-" Alexa's voice stopped as he saw Captain Falcon grab the ball at the very last moment, resulting in Geoffrey, as well as the entire tribe of Haupia losing.

"Well played." Geoffrey clapped. "You have some really admirable reflexes."

"That was one incredibly close match! It didn't start well for Haupia, but thanks to Little Mac and Geoffrey, they almost managed to turn the whole thing around!" He grinned widely. "Now, Team Laau Pama, you may not receive a proper prize, but you are safe from elimination, so give yourself a pat on the back! As for you, Team Haupia..."

Mr. Krabs rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, we get it, elimination is comin' up. You aren't gonna say this EVERY time are ye?"

"Actually, there's more to it this time." Alexa revealed. "Papyrus, Little Mac, and Geoffrey Butler are all immune thanks to being in the top 3 on Haupia in the challenge!"

"WOWIE! I'M SAFE?!" Papyrus cheered. "ANOTHER VICTORY FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"

"I don't think anyone was planning on targeting me, but I'm super grateful for guaranteed safety nonetheless!" Beamed Little Mac.

"Well, it looks like the lousy old forgettable butler's finally some rewards!" Geoffrey folded his arms. "Thank you for the immunity, Master Alexa."

Alexa gave a thumbs up. "You're welcome, but there's ONE last twist I'd like to give to you especially, Geoffrey. Since you were the final one on Haupia to be eliminated, I would like to give you another advantage at Tribal Council. Your vote will be tripled!"

"Really? That's a bit excessive for doing the best out of a losing team." He admitted. "Oh forget it, give me that triple vote!"

"Welp... now I wish I gave Geoffrey more manners." - Josuke Higashikata.

"Now, both of you scram back to your tribes! Especially you, Haupia, you need to decide someone who isn't immune, and quick!" Alexa beckoned them away.

* * *

**Team Haupia: Day 4**

Survivors: Mr. Krabs - Papyrus - Josuke Higashikata - Wario - Geoffrey Butler - Soldier - King Dedede - Gruntilda Winkybunion - Little Mac - Sonic

"Well, this sucks." Sonic groaned. "You guys were so close to winning, but they managed to take us out last second."

"LUCKILY FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ALONGSIDE THE BOXER AND THE BUTLER, WE ARE SAFE FROM ELIMINATION DESPITE OUR TRAGIC LOSS!" Papyrus scoffed. "WE EVEN GET TO VOTE, TOO!"

"Alright alright, quit ya boasting." Mr. Krabs grumpily said. "What's important is decidin' who to vote off! It won't be me, before anyone gets any ideas."

Geoffrey cleared his throat. "Perhaps I may get a say in this, considering I get two extra votes to use?"

"S-speak up, Master Geoffrey!" King Dedede nervously smiled. "Would you like me to fetch you some water whilst you talk?"

"That would be rather kind of you." He slyly smirked.

"Giving these people a taste of their own medicine is rather fun! Though I don't want to push it too much, or they might just target me once this immunity wears off." - Geoffrey Butler.

As Dedede ran off to get some water, Geoffrey pointed to Sonic. "You probably would have won us the competition if you were picked, which means you're a strong team player, I won't cast my vote towards you."

"Thanks, Geoff!" Sonic winked.

"And Mr. Higashikata, your ability to fix things makes you a very valuable asset for this team, so I also won't cast my vote towards you." He added.

"Phew..." Josuke wiped his forehead. "That's a relief."

"That just leaves Eugene Krabs, Wario, Soldier, King Dedede, and Gruntilda." He eyed them. "I don't really know who to vote off among the five of you, so the others who are immune or are not on my radar can decide for themselves."

Unexpectedly, he stood up and began walking off. "If you excuse me, I'll be taking my first nap of the competition."

"Hold on, Master Geoffrey! I'll leave the water beside your resting space, is that fine by you?" Dedede asked, chasing after him.

"We get to decide?" Josuke queried, eyes lighting up. "Nice!"

"Don't get too confident now." Wario warned. "What if all five of us, plus Papyrus and Little Mac, all voted for one-of-a you two?! That would outnumber your total of-a five votes."

Mr. Krabs nodded alongside him. "Yeah, the blubbery buffoon is right! We can just all go against what he says!"

"GEOFFREY ALMOST MADE US WON THIS CHALLENGE, I SHALL NEVER BE CONVINCED TO GO AGAINST HIS WISHES." Papyrus folded his arms.

"Yeah, I feel like losing one of you guys would have a lesser impact than losing Sonic or Josuke. No offense." Little Mac agreed.

Gruntilda simply cackled. "Losing me is less impactful than losing a brat or a rodent? You must be brainwashed to think that Grunty's not a valuable component!"

"You speak in rhymes, and it's really starting to get on my nerves." He admitted. "I suggest you cut it out or you're going to drive everyone here insane."

"THIS IS NOT A FAIRY TALE!" Soldier slammed his fist against an adjacent tree.

"If you want Grunty to change, then you best stop! I shall continue to talk as I please, and any attempt to change that shall flop!" She smirked. "Anyway, moving on from your blunder, let's talk about the old crab who lives down under!"

"Wha?! You're referrin' to me?" Mr. Krabs gasped. "Why would ya get rid of me?! I'm a successful manager of a business, whilst you're just a green smelly witch!"

Gruntilda proceeded to scowl at the crustacean. "You call my smell pungent, yet you reek of the ocean! Continue to mock me and your elimination will be in motion."

"Does this witch think that spouting out rhyming insults will help her in this competition? If she continues to insult people and act unreasonable then I'll have no choice but to vote her off." - Josuke Higashikata.

"Well, everyone in favor of voting off this stupid witch?" Wario asked.

"I am!" Everyone exclaimed at the same time.

For the first time, Gruntilda's face went slightly pale with fear, before she quickly went back to her usual snarky and arrogant facial expression.

"Fine! I shall stop rhyming, for now, just remember that this team is better off without that greedy crab!" She snapped.

"Eh, I think the rhyming stuff was just one factor." Sonic shrugged.

"Excuse me?!" She growled. "I stopped my rhyming, that's my end of the deal! Now please vote off the crab, or it's your fate that I shall sea-... I mean err, end."

"Deal? You think we made a deal?" He asked. "We never made a deal. You already insulted a bunch of people and have been unhelpful to your team throughout these four days. Your rhyming shtick is nothing compared to how evil you are."

Gruntilda proceeded to cackle once more. "Fine then, hedgehog, so be it! Vote me off and have this team crumble to the ground. Then by the end of the competition, none of you will be around!"

"Great, she's-a rhyming again!" Wario spat. "Knock it off, hag!"

"I AGREE, EVEN I AM TIRED OF YOUR POETIC NONSENSE!" Papyrus bellowed. "THE RHYMES AREN'T EVEN CLEVER, THEY'RE SO BASIC AND UNINSPIRED!"

"Lucky for me, the rhymes said aren't decided by Grunty!" She then began walking off. "Vote me if you dare, but when you inevitably get eliminated, I'll just laugh and stare!"

As she disappeared through the trees, the others knew who to vote for.

"Aye, looks like we won't have to worry about who's getting voted off!" Mr. Krabs chuckled.

"Wahaha! This was-a too easy!" Wario folded his arms.

"Hey, I'm back! Who are we votin' for? I was just makin' sure that Master Geoffrey was comfortable." Dedede turned his head a few times to look for Gruntilda. "Where's that hag gone? I was boutta encourage y'all to eliminate her!"

"The seven of us decided to vote for Gruntilda." Explained Sonic. "Make sure to tell Geoff that."

He nodded frantically. "Certainly! Whatever keeps me safe from Geoffrey's three votes."

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 4**

The members of Haupia were all introduced to the Tribal Council area, and it was just as scary as it sounded. It was the same place that Laau Pama was forced to attend to and had the same dim lights and wooden pathways. The only difference was the torch labels, which were white instead of green.

"Please sit down on the stump that's in front of the torch with your name on it." Alexa commanded.

Reluctantly, they all sat down on the uncomfortable wooden stumps, awaiting the host's next command.

"Team Haupia. Whilst you managed to dodge the first-ever Tribal Council, you just barely lost the fight against Laau Pama in the dodgeball challenge. How does that close defeat make you feel, Papyrus?" Questioned Alexa.

"WELL YOU SEE, ALEXA. WHILST I AM INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTED IN THE LOSS, THE IMMUNITY THAT I MANAGED TO WIN FOR MYSELF HAS CHEERED ME UP IMMENSELY!" The skeleton replied with pure optimism. "I AM SURE SONIC AND GEOFFREY FEEL THE SAME WAY!"

"Indeed I do, this place looks scary enough to be around, so I'm incredibly glad that I'm guaranteed to come out of here alive." Geoffrey added.

Alexa nodded. "I see, I see... what about you, Mr. Krabs? What was the loss like for someone who got no rewards out of it?"

"Personally I felt pretty scared to be someone who couldn't nab the immunity. Thankfully, it doesn't look like that I'll be the one leavin' this place!" He snickered. "That wicked witch will!"

"I still have confidence that people here will not vote for me! A change of heart and a realization of my skills and importance is inbound, can't you see?" Countered Gruntilda.

"Mmm, it looks like we'll have to see!" Alexa exclaimed, before standing up and pointing to one of the wooden pathways. "Survivors, cast your votes!"

Gruntilda Winkybunion - It seems like the rodent's time here is over. It's only faith for Gruntilda to get luckier than a man with a four-leaf clover! (Sonic)

Geoffrey - Most of my team wants me to vote for the witch and I wholeheartedly agree. She is the most sadistic and the rudest person on this tribe by far, and that is truly saying something. (Gruntilda)

Josuke Higashikata - If she continues to stress out me and my teammates and causes the team to fall apart, then I'll lose! (Gruntilda Winkybunion)

Wario - There's nothing I want more than to have that old lady shut up! (Gruntilda Winkybunion)

"Survivors!" Alexa grabbed their attention. "Before I begin, does anyone have any idols that they would like to play?"

...

...

...

"Phew, Grunty has none." Sonic sighed with relief.

"I guess it's time for me to read out the votes!" Alexa announced.

***VOTING TIME***

First vote goes to Sonic. (Sonic rolls his eyes at Gruntilda, who gave him a smug look.)

Second vote goes to Gruntilda Winkybunion. One vote Gruntilda, one vote Sonic.

Third vote goes to Gruntilda Winkybunion. Two votes Gruntilda, one vote Sonic.

Fourth vote goes to Gruntilda Winkybunion. Three votes Gruntilda, one vote Sonic. (Gruntilda opens one of her eyes, waiting for the safety to come.)

Fifth vote also goes to Gruntilda Winkybunion. That's four votes Gruntilda, one vote Sonic.

Sixth vote goes to Gruntilda Winkybunion. Five votes Gruntilda, one vote Sonic.

Seventh vote goes to Gruntilda Winkybunion. SIX votes Gruntilda, one vote Sonic. (Gruntilda curses herself, admitting her defeat.)

"I think we all know who's eliminated here." Alexa added.

...

"Gruntilda Winkybunion, at a whopping 11-1, you have been eliminated from Survivor. Please hand me your torch, your time is over." He demanded.

Bitterly, Gruntilda snatched the torch from behind her and gave it to Alexa, who snuffed it out and kept his distance from her.

"Apologies from how far away I am from you, I'm just playing it safe since Eggman." He justified. "Now, please leave Survivor."

She cackled one last time. "You have just signed your doom! Now allow me to watch as you all fall into a state of gloom!"

"That better be the last rhyme we hear from-a you!" Wario grumbled.

"Ironically, for a witty and intelligent witch with amazing planning skills, Gruntilda went into this game with no plan whatsoever! I guess if you count hoping people change their minds on her as a plan. Whether she had a plan or not, however, I don't think she would have gotten far anyway due to how unliked she was among the others. Goodnight Haupia, and try not to come back here."

Gruntilda's Last Words: "I may have lost this competition, but now I get the luxury of watching them lose their chance of money and recognition! Grunty may be gone, but in the next season, I'll come back and do better than in season one!"

* * *

**VOTES**

Gruntilda Winkybunion - Geoffrey Butler, Geoffrey Butler, Geoffrey Butler, Sonic, Josuke Higashikata, Mr. Krabs, Papyrus, Little Mac, Wario, Soldier, King Dedede.

Sonic - Gruntilda Winkybunion.

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Unknown

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon.

Idol of Mirroring - Geoffrey Butler

Idol of ? - Unknown

The ? Idol - Unknown

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

Team Laau Pama (Green Team)

\- Mario

\- Johnny Bravo

\- Samus Aran

\- Captain Falcon

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Squidward Tentacles

\- Peter Griffin

\- Arataka Reigen

\- Gordon Ramsay

Team Haupia (White Team)

\- Mr. Krabs

\- Papyrus

\- Josuke Higashikata

\- Wario

\- Geoffrey Butler

\- Soldier

\- King Dedede

\- Little Mac

\- Sonic

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this episode! Who do you want to win/lose? Let me know in the reviews! Also, apologies that this episode is shorter than the first one by a lot, the next episode will likely be a lot longer, though I don't see many episodes being longer than the first. '^_^


	5. Episode 3 - Bounty Hunter Showdown!

Episode 3 - Ballad of the Bounty Hunters.

**Team Laau Pama: Day 5**

Survivors: Mario - Johnny Bravo - Samus Aran - Captain Falcon - Wii Fit Trainer - Squidward Tentacles - Peter Griffin - Arataka Reigen - Gordon Ramsay

Today marked the fifth day of the competition, and already, the tribe of Laau Pama had turned quite sour. They may have won last round through teamwork and skill, but within the actual tribe contained a whole lot of drama.

Just like how they were on Day 3, the team was split into two groups, almost factions.

Captain Falcon, Gordon, Mario, and Peter were still in the tribe, whilst Samus, Johnny, Squidward, Reigen and Wii Fit Trainer were far from that location.

The fears of being secretly targeted were all but confirmed for Captain Falcon's group, as the other group barely spoke to them outside of the challenge they had, which meant that something was going on. Captain Falcon's fear of Johnny joining that group was also almost confirmed.

To confirm their suspicions, they sent out Mario to spy on the other group to see what their plans were.

As he sneaked through the forest, he finally found the group, who were among a couple of trees, leaning on them.

"It's so awkward eating next to people when you're not allowed to properly talk to them." Wii Fit Trainer admitted. "It's just bizarre. Wouldn't it be less suspicious of us to talk to them normally?"

"Don't worry, it doesn't matter." Samus responded. "We outnumber them either way."

Squidward cleared his throat. "Ahem, you do realize that they HAVE an idol right?"

"That's where Johnny comes in." She retaliated.

"Say what now?" Johnny questioned, perking his ears up.

"The next time we lose a challenge, I want you to pretend to be friendly with Captain Falcon, as you two were in an alliance prior, right?" Samus checked.

"We were." He nodded.

She gave a thumbs up. "Good, now, what I want you after becoming friends again, is to tell him that THIS group right here, is planning to vote out Mario."

"Mama mia..." Mario whispered to himself, observing the scene in secrecy.

"Wait, aren't we voting out that traitor Captain Falcon?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah, we are, but if we fool them into thinking that we're targeting Mario, they'll waste the idol on him whilst we actually vote for Captain Falcon." She continued. "It's really important that you act natural, or he'll buy into this scheme you're doing."

He then proceeded to pose. "That'll be easier than takin' candy from a baby, but that'd imply that I'd take candy from a hottie like you."

"Ugh..." Samus groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Just follow the plan without any of that lady talk."

"Goin' on an undercover mission for a sexy mama is like a dream come true. As a bonus, the mission involves getting revenge on the man who wanted me and the ladies apart." - Johnny Bravo.

"Poor Samus, I can see the annoyance in her eyes whenever Johnny tries to woe her, though I do admire how he never gives up on getting with her, even though he'll never succeed." - Wii Fit Trainer.

Reigen tilted his head. "Are you sure Johnny's capable of pulling that off? Captain Falcon seems really difficult to blindside. Not to mention he BETRAYED Johnny, what makes him think that he'll listen to him?"

"Well if Johnny just pretends to make amends then he may just trust him. He did look like he felt bad about the whole thing, so we can abuse that guilt he's feeling to our advantage. All I know is that, if we pull it off, we'll be safe for a good, long while." She grinned. "Now, stop asking questions, I have everything figured out."

"Sorry for being skeptical of this luck-based plan you have." He sarcastically replied. "I'm starting to get tired of waiting around, doing nothing."

As their conversation soon fizzled out like a candle, Mario ran off and back to the other group with the news.

"Everyone, I'm-a back!" Mario proclaimed.

"What did you find?" Gordon asked.

"It better be worthwhile, I was just about to go pee." Warned Peter.

He sighed. "Well, our suspicions were-a true. They're planning to vote one of us out, and-a Johnny is with them. They're going to-a use him to tell Captain Falcon that the others are-a planning to vote me off! They're only saying it so Falcon would waste the idol on-a me whilst they voted him!"

"They know we have an idol on our side?" Gordon turned to Captain Falcon. "It must have been that pompous muscle freak who told them."

"Great, they're using Johnny as a guinea pig so they can vote me off!" He said bitterly. "I guess he's no longer on my side after I forgot to bring my idol to Tribal Council."

Peter shrugged. "Who friggin' cares? Let's just use the idol on Captain Falcon anyways and vote off Samus!"

"Yeah, now that we know, we're safe." Gordon nodded. "Well, almost safe, since after we get off Samus, the other four are still against us, and who knows what will happen if we tie."

"I guess, I don't know what to say to Johnny though." Captain Falcon said. "I'll figure it out soon, though, don't worry about it."

Mario scratched the back of his head. "Are you-a sure we should be voting Samus?"

"What the hell? Of course we should!" Peter spat. "Gimme one good reason why we shouldn't!"

"Samus is-a very good for our team. She took out a few last challenge, and she managed to-a do well on the first challenge too!" He defended. "She may be against us, but voting someone like-a Squidward, Reigen, or even Johnny would be-a better."

"I think we'll have to take the risk, she seems a bit too dangerous to keep around." Gordon argued.

"Chef's right!" Added Peter.

Mario nodded with a disgruntled expression painted all over his face. "Well, I-a guess we have to risk it."

"I'm not going to-a bother arguing. If we all don't agree on-a one person then that could spell doom for us! I think Samus is too valuable to-a lose, but since most of them disagree, I'll have to-a go along with it." - Mario.

Peter decided to change the subject to something a bit more serious. "Hey, which one of those Haupia fellas do you think got eliminated? I think it's that blue rat since he sat out of the challenge."

"Hopefully Wario, he-a won't leave me alone outside of the competition, so I imagine he'll be a real pain once we do cross-a paths." Mario answered.

"I think it's that crazy guy with the helmet. He can barely keep it together, so how is he supposed to win a competition like this? Which requires strategy and being cool-headed." Added Gordon.

"My guess is Wario too, he seems a bit too brash and gross to be kept around for long, but hey, Haupia has a lot of members that are perfect candidates for elimination, so my guess is as good as yours." Captain Falcon explained his answer.

No further drama happened between the two teams that day, and as usual, Samus and her group were anti-social towards Captain Falcon's group.

* * *

**Team Haupia: Day 5**

The severity that Laau Pama had was a lot different in Haupia's tribe; not only were their relationships hardly different due to the unanimity of yesterday, but they were also mildly celebrating their fifth day on the island. Papyrus was preparing the cooking, as everyone else sat in the tribe, talking about how glad they are to still be in the competition.

"I'm glad to be here still, even though only two people have been eliminated, I feel lucky!" Sonic said, cheering. "Here's to another win tomorrow!"

"Agreed, and hopefully nobody gets triple-voting power again." Dedede glanced over at Geoffrey. "I don't wanna be lickin' the butler's boots again so he wouldn't pick me."

"Now now, I'm not that heartless, King Dedede." He smiled warmly. "I've had my fun, and I don't think I'll get such luxury again."

Papyrus then brought out the food as usual. "ENJOY MY COOKING! THIS TIME, I ADDED MINT TO THE FOOD!"

"Mint? Well, as long as it changes up the flavor, I'm fine!" Mr. Krabs shrugged, taking a bite before spitting it out. "GAH! What's in this thing?!"

"I ALREADY TOLD YOU, MINT!" He smiled sweetly. "PLEASE TELL ME HOW YOU LIKE MY COOKING!"

"This is grass, not mint!" Josuke exclaimed.

Wario gagged on the food. "WAH?! How do you even mess up such a simple order, you bonehead?!"

"A-APOLOGIES, I'M JUST RUSTY ON MY HERBS!" Papyrus gulped. "PLEASE, ALLOW ME TO BALANCE THE FLAVOUR WITH SOME CUMIN I FOUND!"

"Chances are it ain't cumin, it's probably dirt! Don't taint the flavor anymore, ya hear me?" Dedede threatened. "Or I oughta kick you to the curb!"

"I OFFICIALLY RANK YOUR DISH AS MILDLY EDIBLE!" Soldier grunted. "CONGRATULATIONS, YOU ARE A DISAPPOINTMENT TO THIS TEAM!"

Papyrus folded his arms. "I SEE..."

"Seriously, get someone else to cook!" Mr. Krabs ordered. "Butler, you like bein' ordered around right? You're on cooking duty from now on!"

"Usually I'd argue against getting more things to do for you all, but I'd happily accept taking over from Papyrus and cooking something that doesn't taste like my garden." Geoffrey accepted.

Suddenly, Little Mac placed his bowl back. "That could've been better, but I needed to keep my energy up so I ate it all."

"WOW! THANK YOU FOR APPRECIATING MY COOKING! Papyrus cheered.

"I guess we gotta stomach this food if we want to have enough energy for tomorrow, Mac is right." Sonic said, pinching his nose and taking a mouthful before shivering.

Papyrus watched with glee as every member on his team ate his food. Sure, many of their faces looked disgusted or incredibly upset, but as long as they were eating his food, he wasn't going to complain.

After they finished it over a painful thirty minutes, they all stacked the bowls and put them back.

"What now?" Little Mac asked.

"Well, we got a day to kill, that's what!" Sonic lifted his feet and placed it on a stump. "Let's learn about each other some more. Where are you from, Mac?"

"I'm from the Bronx in New York, what about you?" He retaliated.

Sonic pointed out to the ocean. "Not too far from here I don't think, but it's on Mobius."

"Mobius? I've never heard of that place." Little Mac raised an eyebrow. "What's it by?"

"Green Hill!" He replied.

"Yeah... don't know it." He shook his head. "If the gloves don't give it away, I'm a famous boxer."

Josuke laughed. "Yeah, you seemed to be pretty fast and powerful when I saw you fight for that idol, I'm glad nobody's grudged each other over what happened there."

"I've tried not to grudge Papyrus over it, but I got a pretty big headache from a gash in my head that one of Papyrus's bones caused, which sorta made me glad that I didn't have to do dodgeball. I've tried to ignore telling anyone since there's nothing that can really be done." Sonic shrugged.

Papyrus cleared his throat. "AHEM, I TOLD YOU I WAS SORRY SHORTLY AFTER!"

"You're still hurt?" He queried. "Where?"

Sonic pointed to the exact spot on his head. "That's where the gash is, doesn't hurt that much but the headache is really annoying. It's starting to wear off though, befo-"

Josuke proceeded to place his hand on the spot and he felt the gash. "Ah, I see."

Before Sonic could react, he felt the headache, as well as the stinging pain from the gash, begin to fade away.

"What the?!" His eyes widened as the pain finally dispersed. "Did you just heal me?"

"It's another ability my stand can do. It can fix and repair things, so healing is included." Josuke explained.

"Wow... thanks a lot!" He gave a strong thumbs up at Josuke.

"I don't know too much about Josuke, but he seems like a really nice guy, and his ability is incredibly useful! Won't be long before people see him as a threat though, but I feel like I owe him one for getting rid of that annoying headache and wound." - Sonic.

"Kid, you're one of a kind." Mr. Krabs nodded to him. "I swear, come down to me' restaurant and work there. You'll make me- I mean, you'll make us billions if your ability becomes well-known!"

Josuke rolled his eyes. "I said this before, I'll pass on that opportunity."

"C'mon..." He bit his lip. "One day yer gonna say yes!"

"WAHAHA! Everyone knows that the kid will come to MY WarioWare business to show off his ability, not some grimy old McDonald's wannabe!" Wario chortled. "There's-a no way he'd do that!"

"What's a McDonald's even supposed to be?!" Mr. Krabs asked. "Sounds like a ripoff of the Krusty Krab!"

Geoffrey shook his head. "I think it came out before you were even born! It doesn't matter anyway, a fast food restaurant that's underwater is a big enough selling point as it is, even if it's a clone of that disgusting fast food place."

"If that McDonald's has the same secret formula as me, then I won't be happy." He cracked his claws. "I'm ready for a fight with whoever's runnin' that business!"

"How about we change the subject." Little Mac anxiously chimed in. "Geoffrey! You're a butler, but who do you work for?"

"The Banks family in Bel-Air. They may sound fancy, but they're quite the handful to deal with, especially ever since Master William moved from West Philidelphia." Geoffrey described. "And for rich people, they certainly are stingy with my pay."

Papyrus nodded. "BEING A BUTLER IS AN AWFULLY TEDIOUS JOB! ALTHOUGH IT FEELS LIKE I'M A BUTLER TO MY OWN BROTHER WITH HOW LAZY HE CAN BE!"

"I'm pretty curious to know what you work as, bone face. A weirdo skeleton like you could work anywhere!" Dedede asked.

The skeleton proceeded to give a very handsome pose. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WORK AS A ROYAL GUARD MEMBER!"

"What are you guarding?" Josuke asked, immersed by his answer.

"W-WELL... SINCE WE CAME TO THE SURFACE, THERE'S NO NEED FOR A ROYAL GUARD. HOWEVER, I AM STILL ALLOWED TO WEAR THE TITLE! CONSIDER ME, RETIRED!" Papyrus awkwardly laughed.

...

"...IT WAS BEST IF YOU DIDN'T ASK THAT QUESTION." He added. "WHAT ABOUT YOU, KID? SURELY YOU MUST HAVE AN EXPLANATION FOR HOW YOU GOT SUCH AN ABILITY!"

"I guess it's just because I'm related to other people with stands, or "abilities" as you call them." Shrugged Josuke. "There was no real reason. I'm from a Japanese town called Morioh if you were wondering, but that has nothing to do with my ability either. Basically, I have this spirit called a stand that gives me the healing ability, but it can also be used to punch people. Its name is called "Crazy Diamond"."

Little Mac nodded. "Someone else who punches a lot? Welcome to the club!" He chuckled.

"Hmmph, your own fists may be strong, but my hammer is the ULTIMATE weapon!" Dedede gloated. "Obviously, the King of Dreamland would get such a powerful weapon. That darn Kirby can still beat me though."

Wario flexed one of his arms, showing off his muscle. "Your slow and clunky hammer is-a no match for my raw strength! All of my garlic provides my beefy body!"

"There's no way most of that is muscle! ARKARKARKARK!" Mr. Krabs pointed and laughed. "Yer burstin' out of your clothes from all of your fat yet you say you're MUSCULAR!"

"Grrr..." He grumbled. "I'll-a crush you if you continue mocking me! A treasure hunter and a CEO is a lot more successful than you!"

"Let's not get back into that." Little Mac suggested. "I'm glad we all learned a decent amount about each other today though, even small things like that make me a bit more comfortable to be around you guys. Though, it'll be a bit harder to pick one of you to vote off."

Dedede shook his head. "Well, certainly not me! I'm too strong to be treated like a pawn the team's better without!"

"WAHA! That's-a what Grunty said!" Wario nudged him with his elbow, causing the two of them to laugh.

A couple of others joined in with the laughter, reminiscing over how ridiculous Gruntilda acted yesterday.

"Man, what an idiot!" Dedede exclaimed, wiping a tear from his eye from the laughter.

"What was her game plan again? Tell everyone to vote me then screw herself over?! ARKARKARKARK!" Mr. Krabs joked, causing the others to erupt in laughter again.

"I'm glad she made voting somebody off so easy." Josuke smiled. "I mean, she was just straight-up evil!"

Geoffrey nodded. "Indeed. Back when you all went to go hunt for that idol, she definitely seemed quite sadistic. Good thing I don't have to endure her much longer."

"Agreed, her rhyming was too annoying!" Wario bellowed. "Was I the only one who was-a annoyed over that?!"

"I was about to snap me'self!" Admitted Mr. Krabs. "She was eliminated with eleven votes too, not even the game was kind to that ol' hag!"

Once more, most of Haupia burst out laughing. This would be one of the rare moments in survivor where an entire team would get along, especially a team that has many unkind and ruthless people inside...

* * *

**Challenge: Day 6**

As the survivors entered the beach for the next challenge, they were greeted with a large frame with eighteen small podiums with a strong piece of rope dangling above them.

"Welcome to the third challenge of the competition!" Alexa waved to the remaining survivors, in his other hand was a frame of Gruntilda Winkybunion. "Yesterday, Gruntilda Winkybunion was eliminated from the competition at 11-1."

"Sheesh..." Reigen added.

"Anyway, today's challenge is an endurance challenge!" He cheered. "Woo! Endurance challenges are everyone's favorite right? Well, you're pretty evil if you agree, since this challenge will be a nightmare! All eighteen of you survivors will hang on to one of these ropes, and you will have to hang on as long as possible without falling off. However, this isn't just a simple elimination challenge, as your team will earn a point every minute for every member that is still in the challenge. For example, if six people were left for Team Laau Pama, then that team would receive six points every minute! Do you get me? It's pretty simple, just hang on!"

"Oh c'mon Alexa! What about me' claws?!" Mr. Krabs asked, clicking them for effect.

He nodded. "Don't worry, this rope is made with a special material that makes it impossible for your claws to do anything, so you're in the advantage with your extra grip!"

"Phew." He sighed with relief. "That's good! Ol' Krabs ain't in a disadvantage this time!"

Upon learning the premise of the challenge, the survivors were directed to the eighteen podiums; Team Haupia was on the nine podiums to the left, whilst Team Laau Pama was on the nine podiums to the right.

The rope was coarse and a bit uncomfortable to grab, let alone hold on to. However, Alexa was right, as it was impossible to cut in two, even with the might of giant sharp claws chomping down on it.

"I'll give you a minute to prep yourselves before you hold on to that rope." He kindly said. "Trust me, this looks simple but it's going to be the most painful challenge yet! Challenges like these will be plastered all over this competition, so don't expect every challenge to be a fun, nice game of Dodgeball or a simple Hammer Throw contest."

"Sheesh, good thing I'm wearing gloves." Little Mac brushed his arm against the rope, feeling the grittiness. "This thing is tough!"

Squidward wrapped his tentacles around the rope, studying it. "My tentacles won't grip onto it, I'll have to wrap them around it and hope for the best."

"No frickin' way am I holding onto that for a minute, let alone hours!" Peter shook his head. "That's insane!"

"Well, if you want to stay, I advise you get grabbin'." Dedede mocked from afar.

After a minute of getting a feel for the rope they'd be oh-so desperately clinging onto for their lives, Alexa got their attention back.

"Survivors! On the count of three, you'll hold onto that rope for as long as you can. Are you ready?" He rhetorically asked. "3..."

"2..."

"1..."

"GO!" He yelled.

In synchronization, the eighteen competitors jumped off their podiums and grabbed the ropes, all of them using different techniques. Little Mac, for example, was hugging the rope with his arms, as his boxing gloves (that he mysteriously chose to keep on) didn't have good enough grip for a coarse rope like the one in the challenge.

"Get a feel for that awful rope!" Alexa smirked. "Even if you're wearing gloves, the texture of it still manages to make you feel pretty uncomfortable to hold onto it! You'll need to conquer that awkward feeling if you want to keep on clingin-"

"AAAAAH!" Peter screamed, falling off the rope and onto the podium.

A mix of confusion and disbelief slowly spread across Alexa's face as he covered his face with his hand. "...Ten seconds in, Peter Griffin is already out."

"It's not my fault that the rope feels awful!" He justified.

"Bloody Hell, I can't believe I'm on this guy's side..." Uttered Gordon, rolling his eyes.

"Anyway, conquer that feeling if you want to keep on clinging!" He continued. "Otherwise you'll end up like Peter over there, ruining things for his team."

The first minute passed...

Haupia received 9 points, whilst Laau Pama received 8.

A couple of weaker survivors began losing their grip already, whilst most others were doing just as good as they were when they started.

Two more minutes passed, mostly eventless.

So far, Haupia had 27 total points, whilst Laau Pama only had 24.

During the minute, Papyrus and Geoffrey both fell off the rope due to their lack of grip and strength.

"NOOO!" The skeleton cried. "WHY SO SOON! THESE STUPID GLOVES MADE THINGS WORSE, SOMEHOW!"

Geoffrey simply got back up on the ground, and walked off the podium, not bothering to say a word.

"Papyrus and Geoffrey Butler are both out! That brings Haupia down to seven members, as Laau Pama keeps their eight!" Alexa described. "Already, we lost a sixth of the survivors in three minutes alone! This may be over a lot quicker than I thought."

Three more minutes proceeded to pass.

Haupia now had 48 points, and Laau Pama was tied with also 48 points.

A lot more people were beginning to feel fatigued, although some still felt pretty good.

Within the minute, two people had fallen from the rope, those being Reigen and Gordon.

"Damn it! That rope really is something." Reigen proclaimed. "I wonder what it's made of?"

"Whatever it is, it really hurts your hand if you hold onto it for so long." Gordon shook his hand from the lingering pain.

"Arataka Reigen and Gordon Ramsay are both out! Thirteen remain, and Haupia is back in the lead with seven members compared to Laau Pama's six!" Announced Alexa.

Four more minutes proceeded to pass, and most people were still slowly losing their grip due to fatigue and the pain in their hands/arms, an unfortunate and unforeseen event occurred...

A few droplets of rain splashed the sands and the tops of their heads, albeit this rain slowly got worse, and worse, and worse...

Eventually, the rain turned heavy, and winds began to pick up.

"A storm?!" Alexa gulped. "I wasn't told about a storm hitting the island. Things just got a lot more intense!"

Soon after the storm picked up, a lot of drops began happening.

Soldier, Squidward, Johnny, and King Dedede all lost grip of the now wet rope, which quickly changed from a dry, rough touch to a more pleasant yet slippery touch.

Not only that, but the winds managed to blow Josuke and Wii Fit Trainer off of the rope.

In only a minute, six people were eliminated due to the storm.

They didn't bother talking about their defeat, they all dashed into the nearby forest for shelter from the rain.

Haupia was at 76 points, and Laau Pama was at a slightly worse 72 points. Though the numbers were about to increase a lot slower following the six falls, three from each team.

"WOW! ONLY SEVEN PEOPLE REMAIN!" Yelled Alexa, attempting to sound louder than the obnoxious rain and the howling winds. "THREE ON LAAU PAMA, AND FOUR ON HAUPIA!"

One more minute passed before yet another two people fell off their ropes.

Captain Falcon and Little Mac flew off due to the high winds and worse grip, and the posture of Little Mac no longer worked in his favor.

"CAPTAIN FALCON AND LITTLE MAC ARE OUT! FIVE REMAIN!" Alexa bellowed once more, choking on the wind being thrown his way.

The challenge was almost over, and Haupia was at 80 points, with Laau Pama at 75 points.

Again, another minute passed before not one or two, but THREE survivors fell off their ropes.

These survivors were Mario, Wario, and Sonic.

"ONLY SAMUS AND MR. KRABS REMAIN!" Alexa proclaimed. "HOPEFULLY THIS RAIN WILL WEAR OFF BEFORE IT BLINDS ME!"

"Pfft, I'll accept my defeat, but I can't lose to a crab, not with all the training I've gone through." Samus muttered to herself.

"GREAT NEPTUNE! SAVE ME!" Mr. Krabs cried due to the terrifying storm that was swinging him and his rope about. The only thing keeping him attached was his incredibly powerful claws, which clenched the rope with all of their might.

After only two slow and painful minutes, Samus and Mr. Krabs felt like they were about to give out, and just before Samus let go, Krabs went flying from the rope, spinning around before slamming into one of the forest's trees.

"SAMUS IS JUST BARELY THE LAST MAN STANDING... OR WOMAN!" Alexa corrected himself. "TAKE SHELTER IN THE FOREST AND I'LL TELL YOU THE RESULTS!"

"Ugh... what time is it?" Mr. Krabs asked, dizzy.

"It's time for the results!" He grinned, before shaking off all of the water he was covered in like a dog. "There's so much water on me, that's a crazy storm! Anyway, it's time to reveal who won the challenge!"

The survivors, wet yet eager, awaited the results as Alexa calculated them using his trusty phone.

"Alright, so, Laau Pama managed to get an impressive 79 points!" He revealed. "On the other hand, Team Haupia's score was..."

...

...

"85 Points!" He exclaimed. "Sorry Laau Pama, but this is your second loss of the competition. HAUPIA WINS!"

All Haupia members cheered for one another, happy to be safe for the second time in the competition.

"I HAVEN'T BEEN UNSAFE ONCE IN THIS WHOLE COMPETITION!" Papyrus claimed. "I AM UNSTOPPABLE!"

"No prize once again! Not even a little consolation for the losers of Laau Pama!" Alexa stated. "I don't wanna sit here for too long, I'm drenched! Both tribes should now go back to base, and Laau Pama, remember to decide who to eliminate!"

The two tribes separated once more, this time in muddy, grimy weather.

* * *

**Team Laau Pama: Day 6**

Survivors: Mario - Johnny Bravo - Samus Aran - Captain Falcon - Wii Fit Trainer - Squidward Tentacles - Peter Griffin - Arataka Reigen - Gordon Ramsay

The sky was already becoming dark due to the clouds, albeit the storm finally blew over, and all that remained were the occasional gusts of wind that would blow sand across the beach once more.

Again, as usual, the two tribes had split up into the usual groups.

In Samus's group, they were about to send Johnny out to pull off the plan they had formed yesterday.

"Remember what we told you, Johnny." She said, coldly. "You become buddy-buddy with Captain Falcon, tell him that Mario's the target, then he'll be voted off."

"I'm ready to do the plan, baby." He posed a few times. "Let's get this show on the road!"

He dashed off through the trees, heading back to the tribe to meet up with Captain Falcon.

"Allow me to ask again, do you REALLY trust him to pull this off?" Squidward asked. "Because if this gets us screwed over, I won't trust you again! That is if I'm not eliminated."

"I think this lady doesn't think things through when she plans, sure she HAS the confidence of a planner, but listening to her is like a gamble for whether she says a good idea or a bad idea! Either way, I have to listen, just in case the other group is targeting me for some reason." - Squidward Tentacles.

Samus shook her head. "Not really, that's why I got a bit of a backup."

"Tell us the backup! You just put a brooding jock in charge of our safety for tonight." Reigen nodded frantically. "I don't want to be the third eliminated because of your ideas."

"Yeah, I'm not too confident in Johnny, even if he is our only hope." Wii Fit Trainer rubbed her arm.

She proceeded to quiet down and tell them the backup plan, although it could only be heard by them, their facial expressions turned confident, arrogant, or relieved.

Meanwhile, in the other group, the others were doing nothing other than waiting for Johnny to show up, as Mario said he would.

"What are you going to-a say when he arrives?" Mario asked.

"It'll be difficult lying to a former alliance partner, but I'll go along with it, then at Council, I'll use the idol on myself and we'll vote out Samus." Captain Falcon repeated their plan. "Dunno what I'd say to him specifically, but I don't wanna raise suspicions."

"Pretty impressed by your patience, if Mario told me that I was their target, I'd tell Johnny to *CENSORED* off as soon as I saw his face." Gordon admitted, before cracking a smile. "Oh, speak of the devil."

His last comment caused the other members to turn their heads in unison, revealing the foreseen Johnny, running up to them.

"Whassup?" He asked casually. "I need to borrow Captain Falcon for a second, it's pretty urgent."

Captain Falcon stood up and put his hand on Johnny's shoulder, revealing a strong, friendly smile. "Sure thing pal!"

"Before you go, can you try and find out who voted for me last time? I swear I'll find out one day." Peter rubbed his chin.

"It doesn't matter right now! Just let Captain Falcon and Johnny talk about whatever they need to." Scalded Gordon before beckoning the two away.

As they walked off, Mario sighed. "I wish this team could have-a been more friendly. We've already split apart over one-a Tribal Council."

"Imagine what would have happened if we won the challenge! That scientist guy would still be here, and we'd still have a friggin' team." Peter groaned. "This blows!"

Whilst they talked about the state of their team, Captain Falcon and Johnny were pretty far away from both teams at this point.

"This should be far enough, nobody will hear us." Johnny said, whizzing his head from side to side to see if anyone was nearby.

"Definitely is! Anyway, what did you want me for?" Quizzed Captain Falcon.

Johnny shrugged. "Err, what was it again..."

"Just taking a guess, but does it have something to do with this weird split-tribe situation?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm... maybe." He proceeded to scratch his head, trying to get the answer back into his memory.

Awkwardly, the two of them waited in silence before Johnny finally snapped his fingers as the memories came back to him. "Oh right! The two hot mamas, as well as the two other guys, are planning to vote off your friend Mario!"

"Couldn't you have just told that to Mario?" Captain Falcon questioned, deciding to toy around with him.

As expected, he began sweating nervously at the unanticipated question, so he decided to shrug. "I dunno, I know you more... I guess."

"Well, I'll make sure to inform the others!" He claimed, giving a wink. "Thanks a lot, you really saved us this time, Johnny! I'm also sorry about what happened last Tribal Council, I seriously forgot to bring that idol to save you! Maybe we can throw it behind us and team up once again!"

"Hmm, I dunno... teaming-up wasn't in the plan I was given." Johnny responded.

"Plan?" Captain Falcon asked, folding his arms.

"I mean err, nothing! Byebye!" He shot off into the trees, awkwardly waving goodbye as he grazed a few bushes on the way out.

Once the brooding man disappeared, the bounty hunter could do nothing but smile at how his plan became successful. "Now it's time to vote out Samus, there's only room for one bounty-hunter!" He taunted.

When he arrived back at the tribe, the others had just finished their conversation and turned to greet him.

"Welcome-a back!" Mario smiled. "What happened?"

"Looks like he fell for it!" Captain Falcon announced, giving a grin.

The other three cheered at those words, as it basically confirmed that they were all safe.

"Well, there's still one more obstacle." Gordon revealed, killing the cheering instantly.

"Huh?!" Peter could do nothing but gawk at the sudden change in mood.

"...You still have to remember to bring the idol." He joked, before laughing alongside Mario and Peter.

Captain Falcon was in a good mood, but he rolled his eyes at the tease before sitting back down, waiting for the cue to enter Tribal Council.

When Johnny arrived back in his group, he leaned against a tree and pointed towards Samus. "Guess who saved our butts?"

"Good job!" Wii Fit Trainer applauded. "I'm glad you managed to pull it off, what did he say?"

"He thanked us for saving them big time, apologized to me, and suggested we teamed up again, but I declined since it wasn't a part of the plan." Johnny described the experience. "I feel a bit bad getting rid of another big muscular guy like me, but it's all to save myself and you hot mamas!"

Samus gave a small grin. "Good, but there's something I need to tell you..."

"What is it?" He asked.

Like what she did with the others, she quietly whispered it to him, and his eyebrow raised with shock.

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 6**

Somehow, the second visit to Tribal Council made it eerier and more miserable than ever before. Perhaps it was the fact that they saw an elimination for itself, and knew exactly how tense things were going to get, and maybe it was also due to the stakes that were much, MUCH higher than they were last time. It wasn't just a simple debacle between two people, this time, NOBODY was safe.

Alexa could almost read the intensity from the survivor's faces, which made him excited to hear about their situation.

As they did last time, they all sat down and waited for their host to begin the session.

"Team Laau Pama, although I'm glad you learned to step up your game with the Dodgeball challenge, it seems that you took a very close loss with this recent challenge due to the unpredictable weather. Whilst the rainy storm has died down to simple howling of the wind, has your grudge towards the people were out quickly died yet, Samus?" Alexa asked.

She slowly shook her head. "I'm pretty mad at the people who went out early, though that isn't the only factor going into my vote this time, Alexa."

"Really? Do you know what she means by that, Peter?" He questioned again.

"Of course I do! Ever since that first stupid vote, everyone's been hatin' on each other! We even split into two groups, and those guys aren't even talking to us anymore!" He complained. "It's just really grinding my gears lately, why are we all so mean to each other, even if we win a challenge?!"

"It seems like this has frustrated you deeply, and a split into two groups seems like a poison to your tribe. My advice would be to get things back into order, at least until you lose again. However, it seems to be too late to give advice, given the intensity of the situation. Reigen, are you nervous about tonight's vote?"

Reigen lied back with confidence, whilst at the same time, looking a bit on edge. "Well, it seems like things will go smoothly for me, but I'd be lying if I said nobody here had at least a tiny bit of worry, since a lot of drama has let up to this one moment, and even in the best-case scenario, I'm still going to have to keep my guard up! Reigen won't fall just yet, and that's a fact I'm ninety percent confident in!"

"Well, tonight's vote seems like it will be a very interesting one! I'm excited to get to the votes!" Alexa admitted. "Not to sound sadistic, of course."

Samus and Captain Falcon slowly nodded at the phrase "seems like it will be a very interesting one!", both showed unemotive faces to throw off the others who planned to vote against them.

"Now, cast your votes!" He commanded.

Captain Falcon: Looks like I'll finally have to use my idol, and after doing so, you'll finally lose your smug confidence! (Samus Aran)

Samus Aran: This is an easy vote, and I'm beyond confident that my plan will end up working. I cannot afford to lose just yet, it's way too early for me to even become a target. (?)

Gordon Ramsay: I'm not voting you because of your lack of skill, in fact, you have a scary amount of skill; I'm voting you because you're the opposite of someone who lacks game sense, and that's a huge bloody threat. (Samus Aran)

Johnny Bravo: Sorry my guy, but I didn't know it'd have to come down to a vote like this! I still got to impress the ladies a bit more, so I'm thankful for your meaningful sacrifice to get me to first base! (?)

"Survivors, it's time for me to read your votes!" Announced Alexa. "But before I do... would anyone like to play an idol?"

...

"Alexa!" Captain Falcon called out, to nobody's surprise. "I would like to play an idol."

He wrung his hands at the excitement of those words. "Well, be my guest! Which idol do you have?"

Standing up from his seat, he walked over to Alexa and held out the shield idol.

"Ah, the Idol of Defense! What a useful idol." He observed it. "Who would you like to use it on?"

"I would like to use it on..." His eyes trailed over to Mario before he gave an arrogant grin. "Me!"

Squidward and Reigen both gawked and looked at Samus as he cast the idol, whilst her facial expression didn't change at all.

"Well, it looks like Captain Falcon will have his total amount of votes halved for this Tribal Council only!" Alexa revealed. "Here's me hoping to you that it isn't a waste of a use."

After accepting the idol, he cleared his throat. "Now, it's time for me to read out the votes! The decision is final, as always."

***VOTING TIME***

Before he even read out the first vote, his eyes widened with surprise.

First vote goes to Samus Aran. (She rolls her eyes, expecting this.)

Second vote goes to Samus Aran. Two votes Samus.

Third vote goes to Peter Griffin. One vote Peter, two votes Samus. ("What the crap? Who keeps voting for me?!" Peter exclaims with anger and confusion.)

Fourth vote goes to Samus Aran. Three votes Samus, one vote Peter. (Captain Falcon is disturbed by the lack of votes towards him yet.)

Fifth vote goes to Peter Griffin. Two votes Peter, three votes Samus.

Sixth vote goes to Peter Griffin. Three votes for Peter and Samus. (Peter and his group can do nothing but gasp at this bizarre turn of events.)

Seventh vote goes to Samus Aran. That's four votes Samus, three votes Peter. (Samus smirks despite the danger she was in.)

Eighth vote goes to Peter Griffin. Four votes to Peter and Samus, only one vote remains. (Peter bites his nails, almost defeated, but still hanging on for the small hope that Samus would receive the final vote.)

"There is one last vote in this box." Alexa said, removing it and nodding to himself. "The third contestant eliminated from Survivor Crossover is..."

...

...

...

"Peter Griffin! At a close 5-4, you have been eliminated from Survivor, please hand me your torch, your time is over." Alexa commanded.

He sadly removed his torch and handed it to Alexa.

"I'm sorry guys, I had a lot of fun with this whole experience and the challenges, but I didn't know that I'd lose to such an unexpected vote! This was nothing like how you guys said it was gonna go." He frowned. "Well, good luck to you guys, especially to the pornstar, the old chef, and that stereotypical Italian plumber. This will be one hell of a story to tell my family if they aren't watching this from home already."

Peter gave one last smile before turning around and walking down the pathway, many members, including the ones who had voted for him, gave their goodbyes as well.

* * *

Peter's Last Words: "Well, this was fun while it lasted! I can't wait to see the end of this and see who wins, and I wish I could've done better on those stupid challenges, that was probably why I got friggin' voted out in the first place! Goodbye Survivor, I'll make sure to remember this experience for at least a year or two."

* * *

**VOTES**

Peter - Samus Aran, Johnny Bravo, Arataka Reigen, Wii Fit Trainer, Squidward Tentacles.

Samus - Captain Falcon, Mario, Gordon Ramsay, Peter Griffin.

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Unknown

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon. (USED)

Idol of Mirroring - Geoffrey Butler.

Idol of ? - Unknown

The ? Idol - Unknown

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

Team Laau Pama (Green Team)

\- Mario

\- Johnny Bravo

\- Samus Aran

\- Captain Falcon

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Squidward Tentacles

\- Arataka Reigen

\- Gordon Ramsay

Team Haupia (White Team)

\- Mr. Krabs

\- Papyrus

\- Josuke Higashikata

\- Wario

\- Geoffrey Butler

\- Soldier

\- King Dedede

\- Little Mac

\- Sonic

* * *

And so the cast shrinks once more! What twists, turns, and idols do you expect to see in the future? Let me know in your reviews! I'll see you all in Episode 4 of Survivor Crossover - Tropics! ^_^


	6. Episode 4 Part 1 - Wii can't be cruel!

Episode 4: Wii Can't Be Cruel!

**Team Haupia: Day 7**

Survivors: Mr. Krabs - Papyrus - Josuke Higashikata - Wario - Geoffrey Butler - Soldier - King Dedede - Little Mac - Sonic

Another win, another optimistic day for Haupia! Though, this time, they decided to use yet another spare day of nothingness in an attempt to search for idols.

The tribe was completely empty, not a single soul rested within the area, as the hunt for idols was being taken on by every member.

They had separated into three groups: the first contained Wario and Soldier, the second contained Geoffrey, King Dedede and Mr. Krabs, whilst the third contained Papyrus, Little Mac, Sonic, and Josuke.

Each group had a different level of seriousness regarding the search for the idols. Wario and Soldier treated the hunt like it was their only chance of winning, as they searched every nook and cranny of the forest, even in areas that obviously wouldn't have the idols. They HAD to be sure, right? The other two groups were much more laid back, and had a lot more friendly communication with one another compared to the anti-social nature of the duo. However, Papyrus definitely stood out from their group, as they were just as interested in finding the idols as Wario and Soldier.

In fact, the laid back nature of the others even caused Papyrus especially to get more and more annoyed at them.

"AHEM!" He cleared his throat dramatically. "ARE ANY OF YOU LISTENING?!"

"What's up, Pap?" Sonic asked.

"IT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT, WELL, NONE OF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR IDOLS AS MUCH AS I AM! WHILST I AM QUITE RELIABLE, NOT ONE SKELETON CAN FIND AN IDOL BY THEMSELVES!" Papyrus proceeded to stomp his feet on the ground, a common gesture that he seems to have adopted from all of the things bothering him recently. "I NEED THE HELP OF ALL OF YOU, WITHOUT THE UNNECESSARY CHIT-CHAT!"

Josuke laughed at the comical anger. "Don't worry! You don't have to take things too seriously."

"WHY NOT?! THE OTHERS COULD ALREADY HAVE IDOLS BY NOW, AND NONE OF US WOULD KNOW!" He worried. "AND THIS COULD LEAD TO OUR DEMISE, ESPECIALLY MINE!"

"Think of it this way: if you find an idol, we're not allowed to take it from you." Sonic explained. "We're just talking to each other."

Papyrus raised an eyebrow. "WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT IT'S INTERRUPTING YOUR SEARCHING?! UNLESS IT'S BEING GRATEFUL FOR ME DOING ALL THE WORK, OF COURSE!"

"Hmmm..." Little Mac rubbed his chin. "Should we tell him?"

To the skeleton's confusion, the three of them huddled up and began whispering to each other; all attempts to eavesdrop them were beyond futile, as he couldn't make out a single word from what they were saying.

Eventually they broke out of the huddle and smiled at Papyrus before Josuke casually rested his elbow on the bewildered monster's shoulder. "Hey, how would you like to join the new alliance that we're making?"

"SAY-WHAAAAA?!" He gasped. "AN ALLIANCE OF... ONE... TWO... THREE... FOUR MEMBERS?!"

"Yep! If we all band together as one big team, then we just have to eliminate one person before it becomes impossible for them to vote us!" Sonic said. "Besides, the chances of Geoffrey, Krabs, Wario, Soldier, and Dedede teaming up to eliminate one of us is fairly small! Especially considering Geoffrey has his fair amount of wits."

Little Mac held his glove out. "Will you join us?"

"When he suggested it I was a bit iffy on it, I thought that Geoffrey would be a lot better of a member to our alliance, and I still do! Papyrus seems a bit too naive and clumsy to pull off a blindside on his own though, so using him as a free vote and member would eliminate any fears of him betraying us. I got a slightly bad feeling about the type of things that butler could pull off in the right environment, and I don't want to witness it when it's targeting me!" - Josuke Higashikata.

Papyrus turned around and rubbed his jawline, squinting his eyes as he focused on the pros and cons of joining. "Hmm... a kid with a weird psychic power, an abnormally fast monster, and weirdest of all... someone who hasn't taken off his weird bulky punchy-gloves since I first saw him. Wait a second, why is a part of me protesting against this?! These people are including me in their group!"

With plenty of style and fabulous gestures, Papyrus turned back around and struck his proudest and most powerful pose yet, his cape fluttering in the wind as a grin filled to the brim with optimism alongside a faint hint of relief that he's been included spread across his face, the finishing touch to this was a dramatic wink. "IT HAS BEEN DECIDED! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ORIGINALLY FROM SNOWDIN OF THE UNDERGROUND, WILL ASSIST TO THE CHILD IN PURPLE, THE BLUE CRITTER IN SHOES, AS WELL AS THE MAN WITH GLOVES STUCK TO HIS HANDS!"

"Child!?" Josuke folded his arms, slightly annoyed at the indirect insult.

"Critter?!" Sonic also folded his arms, also annoyed at the accidental insult.

"Gloves stuck to my hands?" Little Mac rubbed the back of his head, befuddled.

"PAPYRUS HAS OFFICIALLY JOINED THE PARTY!" He cackled with joy. "NOW, WHAT IS OUR FIRST OBJECTIVE AS AN ALLIANCE?!"

Josuke shrugged at the question. "I dunno, not get eliminated?"

Whilst this whimsical moment of joy was taking place, a slightly moodier tone was going on for Wario and Soldier.

"Have you-a found anything yet?" Wario asked, scratching his butt. "I can't-a find anything!"

"WHY WOULD I SHARE WITH A FAT UGLY FOOL SUCH AS YOU!" Shouted Soldier, prodding Wario's chest.

"IDIOT! WE'RE ON THE SAME-A TEAM!" He scowled. "THIS IS-A THE SECOND TIME... TODAY!"

He nodded. "NO! I have not found any traces of an idol anywhere! The closest I have is this slip of paper which gives a mild hint at the location, but as far as I know, it's WORTHLESS!"

Soldier held the slip of paper in his hand before ripping it into two tiny pieces, causing Wario to gawk with disbelief.

"Y-..." He collapsed to the flaw and scrambled the two pieces of paper before the wind blew them away. "THIS IS A HINT, MORON!"

"AND? It's no idol, so it means nothing!" He spat. "This is just a waste of time! Let's look around that beach immediately, we haven't checked there yet!"

Wario crudely stuck the two ripped pieces together to reform the message and read it. "Upon the seaside lies this familiar idol, only a strong person can pull out this Excalibur!"

"Familiar? Hmmm, isn't an Excalibur that sword?" he asked.

"I don't read fairy tales, I cannot help you with that pansy question!" Soldier proclaimed, folding his arms. "Now, go to the beach!"

Finally snapping, he grabbed Soldier by the chest, slightly lifted up his blinding helmet, and stuck the two pieces of paper together so he could read the hint.

"If-a only that stupid crab joined me in this alliance! I can't stand this stupid Soldier guy, he's more useless than-a Mario, and you have to be pretty USELESS to be worse than that stupid-a plumber!" - Wario.

"This fat fool IGNORES my command as a Soldier to move to the seaside immediately, and he has failed me! He's more useless than Scout, and you have to be pretty USELESS to be worse than that stupid city boy!" - Soldier.

"HMMM... the Excalibur sounds like a stupid sword that Demoman would pick up like he's some sort of discount King Arthur! Though, I imagine this has nothing to do with the idol, and is just a pathetic fairy tale written by Alexa!" He shrugged before turning and walking off to the seaside.

Wario gave a defeated sigh before going to the seaside, he had to cope with Soldier if he wanted an extra vote to use at Tribal Council, but he was beginning to doubt that the mercenary would even listen to him.

Coincidentally, the group that consisted of King Dedede, Geoffrey, and Mr. Krabs were already at the ocean.

"Ahh, a nice warm breeze definitely helps cure the trauma from yesterday's unexpected storm, wouldn't you say?" Geoffrey asked. "I almost forgot that we were meant to be searching for idols!"

"C'mon, it's a beach! It's the furthest I go to shore, outside of special occasions like this." Revealed Mr. Krabs.

"Nice weather like this would distract even a secluded loser like Metaknight! It definitely does for me." Dedede relaxed. "There's nothin' to find here, anyway!"

Geoffrey nodded. "Well said, aside from that lonesome rock over there, not a single thing here has the ability to contain an idol, unless of course, Alexa's sadistic enough to plant one in the sands!"

They all chuckled at the comment before Wario came running up to them, reading the hint he had once more.

"Hello! Err, may I ask a question?" He said, desperate to find the idol before Soldier. "What's an Excalibur?"

"Well, an Excalibur is the sword from the story of King Arthur! As a boy, he was strong and worthy enough to pull the sword from a rock it was magically fixed to, meaning that nobody else was able to pull it out. For a more modern reference, think of Thor and his hammer."

Wario darted his eyes to the large rock behind the group he was chatting to, before darting them back to Geoffrey. "A rock?"

"Yes, a rock. Why such a specific questi-" His curiosity proceeded to be literally trampled by the fat treasure hunter as he barged past the group, roaring with joy and laughter.

Soon after they came to their senses, Soldier barged past them, screaming at Wario.

"THAT HINT IS MINE! I WILL PRY IT FROM THAT COLD DEAD ROCK BEFORE YOU, EVEN IF IT KILLS ME!" He threatened, catching up on Wario.

He charged faster, before reaching the rock and climbing to the top.

There it was, the handle of the sword-shaped Idol of Attacking, stuck in the stone.

Wario went to pry it out, his eyes lighting up with joy before...

*BANG*

Soldier crashed into him, tumbling them both away from the idol.

They both wrestled each other, trying to get an opportunity to grab the idol so they could have it in their possession, even for a second.

"IT WILL BE MINE, ALLIANCE PARTNER!" Soldier announced.

"YOU'LL-A HOG IT TO YOURSELF! THIS IS-A MINE FOR THE TAKING!" Wario argued back before punching Soldier in the cheek, causing him to fly off the rock. Apparently, the fact that his helmet flew off and into the sand was more important than making sure Wario wasn't able to nab the idol.

With gusto and pace, Wario pried the idol from the rock with ease.

"WAHAHAHA! WARIO WINS!" He jumped for joy before hopping off the rock.

He quickly ran off before Soldier could notice him again, escaping back to tribe as the others who were trampled twice simply observed.

"Well, he finally obtained that sword idol, and he'll now have two more votes to use!" Geoffrey exclaimed. "A bit threatening."

"Someone like him won't be saved, even with that idol!" Mr. Krabs laughed.

"I'm more upset that he got sand all over my robe! I won't be too friendly to him from now on..." Dedede growled, brushing the sand off of his clothing

"Anyone who messes with the king's royal robes won't be having a safe journey! Whether you get sand on em', tear em', or whatever, I'll make sure to vote you as soon as I get a good opportunity to! Mock my words, Fatboy!" - King Dedede.

* * *

**Team Laau Pama: Day 7**

Survivors: Mario - Johnny Bravo - Samus Aran - Captain Falcon - Wii Fit Trainer - Squidward Tentacles - Arataka Reigen - Gordon Ramsay

Ever since the last Tribal Council, the mood had been completely set for the remaining eight members. Peter was no way near one of the more important players to the team, in the eyes of even his companions, but his out of the blue elimination was obnoxiously difficult for Captain Falcon's group to process. As for the other group, Reigen and Squidward were especially shocked over how accurate Samus was over her prediction that Captain Falcon wouldn't truly trust Johnny. Samus herself felt more confident than ever, one of her plans had worked flawlessly, and she was now completely safe from being voted off without that risky idol.

"I can't believe Peter just-a went like that!" Mario exclaimed. "I thought it'd be Samus, or worst-case scenario, Captain Falcon!"

"Now we're deeper in *CENSORED* than ever before, especially without that idol. I think there's only one possible thing we can do left to save ourselves." Gordon sighed. "That being winning challenge after challenge until something comes along that saves us, but even then, something could come along and help the others even more, as if they need it."

Captain Falcon groaned. "That's the only way?! Maybe we can hunt for idols or something."

"We can't rely on too much luck, we have to rely on ourselves and our team to pull us through just enough." Declined Gordon. "That, and praying we aren't the targets are our only option left. That being said..."

He stood up and began walking off.

"Huh? Where are you-a going?" Mario questioned, concerned.

Gordon gave a frown. "There's no point in being in a group anymore, it just adds more fuel to this *CENSORED*-fest. I'm going to take a walk around the island and clear my head, this place is already starting to drive me mad."

"Wait! You can't just walk out on us, we may have a shot at-" Captain Falcon's arguing was quickly cut off by the realization that Gordon was already ignoring him, as he just drove deeper and deeper into the trees. "..."

"It was pretty difficult to give up on it all, but there's no way. Maybe I'll try and look for an idol, but the best shot I have is to try harder at these challenges, or I'll probably be out next since even I will admit that the other two seem more important to keep than me. I assume Peter was the one chosen because of his performance last challenge, too." - Gordon Ramsay.

It was now just the two of them, feeling completely hopeless. They lost not one member of their pseudo-alliance through elimination, but another one through giving up.

The two of them, both usually brimming with optimism and energy, sat down, completely silent and twiddling their thumbs. They too had nothing left to do, and looking for idols would likely be futile since Samus knows just how to one-up them. There's no reason to try, right? What's the point of trying when it'll just result in a slower loss, they might as well have gotten eliminated first...

Though that's what the others wanted them to do, give up and lose hope in this competition due to them being more than outnumbered at this point. Gordon may have abandoned them, but his words echoed throughout Mario's head.

"Winning challenge after challenge until something comes along that saves us."

"Winning challenge after challenge."

"Winning challenge after challenge..."

Eventually, after realizing what that meant, Mario sprung out of his short-lived misery and patted Captain Falcon on the shoulder. "Don't-a stand there!"

"Huh?" Captain Falcon turned his head. "Eh, we pretty much lost this one, bud. I didn't expect to be cornered like it was a game of Chess, and I definitely didn't expect it to happen so soon."

"C'mon!" The plumber gave a joyful smile. "Think about what he-a said! If we win challenge after challenge, then we won't get eliminated. It's not-a like the others are going to throw the challenges just to-a eliminate us! They want to-a look good AND win!"

He nodded. "I guess, but can we really win so many challenges before losing? I mean, out of the three I've participated in, I did really well... no, WE did really well! Though we still lost two of them."

"That just-a means we have to give it our all! I didn't expect to put so-a much effort into the early game, but that's-a just how it is!" The plumber offered his hand out, offering a bond of companionship. "We can-a still get out of this if we try to win the challenges! They won't stay in that alliance forever, and Haupia won't win forever, either!"

After a few seconds of thinking about his words, Captain Falcon grabbed the plumber's hand, giving a smile. "What am I thinking?! A great racer and bounty hunter like me would never give up so soon, and I wouldn't do it to some loser humans, some arrogant squid, or someone with a bit too much confidence!"

He stood up, and his energy was immediately back to normal. "There's not much we really can do right now, but let's try and look around this place for idols. It's extremely unlikely that I'd find two in one game, but it's worth a shot!"

The two of them split up to go look for idols, backed into a corner, albeit refusing to give out just yet.

Whilst this resolve was going on, the other side of the team was pretty comfortable with their position, none of them were in any danger whatsoever.

"Well, here's to another week of safety!" Squidward snorted with laughter. "Those idiots really did put the wrong idol on!"

"Tsk, idiots?" Reigen smirked. "If Samus didn't change the plan, then we'd be in a lot more trouble. If anything, you're the idiot!"

"Ghu?!" Squidward choked on the out-of-the-blue insult. "AHEM! You fell for it too! You can't call anybody."

As a response, he simply folded his arms and looked away with a cocky look on his face. "Well, I'm not the one gloating over it like I wasn't wrong."

"It sucks being wrong, but I'll definitely admit that Samus saved our butts this time. If it wasn't for her intelligence and sharp senses, then we'd be even with the others, and who knows what would happen if two people tied in votes at Tribal Council." - Arataka Reigen.

Squidward curled his lip, now in a worse mood than before.

"I sorta feel bad for them." Wii Fit Trainer admitted. "Weren't we supposed to be a strong and powerful team? Here we are though, excluding people from our group because they didn't agree with us. It's not like Eggman would have been good to keep anyways, just look at what he did to Alexa when he got his torch snuffed out!"

Johnny shook his head. "Nah, I hate that Egg guy or whatever his name is, but I hate Captain Falcon and his group for betrayin' me! I don't care how they feel, as long as they get what they deserve."

"These people tried to help you, though." She argued. "All four of the people against us are people who helped you, yet you're still just going to stand there and say that you hate them?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, I had respect, but every time I was lied to, it got broke more and more. As long as Samus is okay with it, I am too!"

"You're letting your entire personality and actions be decided by the looks of someone, you people are acting ridiculous! I know this show has a lot of drama in it, but I didn't expect it all to be so... childish?!" Wii Fit Trainer stormed off.

"Unfortunately, there's no choice I really have other than staying with these others if I want to guarantee safety. Though they're being so obnoxious and rude to the others, to the point where it's now necessary to not talk to them at all, they must feel pretty awful, and I want to win these challenges so I don't have to vote for them, because I want to be in a position where I can vote out those who have unhealthy mindsets towards those they aren't fond of!" - Wii Fit Trainer.

Reigen sighed. "I think she's a bit right. I mean, I don't know those people, so they could be serial killers for all I know, but I think it's a bit harsh to say that you hate them, Johnny."

"Maybe..." He looked at the ground before darting his eyes back up. "But some are definitely on my radar after what they tried to do with my chances of getting with these women!"

"It doesn't matter! As long as we're on the road to winning a MILLION dollars and a stay at the world's greatest hotel, then I'm willing to sacrifice a bit of my dignity for that!" Scoffed Squidward.

"I guess this show is starting to blind some of our morals, including mine..." Reigen pouted. "Maybe I should go and see if that girl's doing alright."

Samus nodded at him. "Go do that, I also think she's right."

"Say-what-now?" Johnny asked, incredibly surprised.

"Hating people in this competition is definitely much." She nodded. "I'm only doing it so I can win, but I'm not holding anything against them. You do realize that you and Squidward have upset her, and we can't have this group falling to pieces after obtaining a mostly guaranteed victory."

"I-I'm on it!" Johnny exclaimed.

"Don't do it for her, do it for your own morals." Reigen added, as the two of them walked off to go after her.

As for Squidward, he simply folded his arms and attempted to ignore what happened. "Whatever..."

When the others caught up to Wii Fit Trainer, leaning against a tree and feeling beyond annoyed, Reigen attempted to cheer her up.

"Hey, I know it sorta looks like everyone here is beginning to lose their touch over the chance to win that prize money and that hotel." Reigen agreed. "However, just remember that idiots like Squidward probably won't get far with an attitude like that! For a competitive game, you'll probably need a lot of sportsmanship if you want to be seen as a trusted, worthy person of getting far, and probably even winning. I'm even guilty of being a bit harsh on the others, so sometimes you just have to remind yourself that it's all a game of fun!"

"And why are you here?" Wii Fit glared to Johnny. "Did the girl who's painfully uninterested in you tell you to come here and say sorry?"

Reigen blanked, as that was literally the reason why he came in the first place. This caused him to move to the side as Johnny prepared his answer.

"Now, you wait here just a minute, she is inter-..." Johnny shook his head. "Nah wait, that's not what I should say, isn't it? I dunno much about the others, but they're probably cool guys, and I'm sorry for lettin' this whole game get to my head, like the guy with the loser-hair next to me is also saying."

"It's less the game that's corrupting you, it's just that you seem to follow Samus like a sheep only because she's a girl. By that logic, follow my orders and play the game for yourself! Don't make someone your identity, no matter how good-looking they are to you, that's a very bad and unhealthy mindset to have!" She scalded.

He went white. "Err well-"

"SHE'S NOT INTERESTED!" Reigen snapped. "It's so gross and annoying to see someone act like a mini-servant for the tiny chance that they'd give something in return. You're really over your head if you think like that will ever happen. Do it to anyone you want and they'll beat you to a pulp, just don't do it around me, or on this island. Capiche?"

Johnny moved through his hair with his fingers as he straightened his shirt, then he remembered a similar talk he had with Captain Falcon back when they were looking for that shield idol, maybe that's why he lied about both of those girls being married, to prevent him from making a fool of himself.

"You're right..." Johnny rubbed his chin. "Nobody here wants a piece of Johnny, but that doesn't mean none of the other hot mamas out there won't want some of me if I win, and if I keep going for the one wrongs, then I won't win!"

It was an incredibly awkward resolve that he had found, and it was a little painful to watch, but the others were glad to see him crack his usual smug smile and go say "I'll win this game with no distractions, that's how I'll become famous! I ain't throwin' away my chance to win just yet."

"Wow... I didn't know he had the ability to change, and he technically didn't, he just had the fact of no girl here being interested in him go straight through to his head. Poor guy will probably watch himself on TV and recoil into his seat." - Reigen Arataka.

Wii Fit Trainer gave a slightly relieved smile. "Well, that works. Thanks for coming to cheer me up, guys."

"No problem." Johnny winked, though this wink was much more different considering the tone. It was also a pointless wink considering he was wearing sunglasses...


	7. Episode 4 Part 2 - Crabby Conflicts!

**Challenge: Night 8**

The seventeen remaining survivors were semi-relieved to find out that they weren't drafted out to their usual beach spot, and instead, they were brought to the rockies in the middle of the island.

Alexa warned the survivors earlier that day that the challenge would begin much later than usual, and they definitely didn't expect to do the challenge in the pitch-black darkness. The only source of light was from Alexa's flashlight, as well as the natural moonlight.

"Peter Griffin was eliminated from Laau Pama last council, and the first idol, the Idol of Defense, was used." Alexa claimed. "A small second of silence for Peter... alright, silence over."

"Why can't we have those Tribal Council torches to use for light?!" Squidward complained. "I've bumped into something three times on the way here! Your excuse better be good."

"This place is pretty famous for the lack of clouds... barring what we had witnessed last challenge... so I thought that relying on the moonlight would be a good idea!" Shrugged Alexa. "Anyway, it'd also make this challenge a lot harder for Team Haupia!"

Team Haupia tilted their heads, caught off by that statement.

"What do you mean by that?" Reigen asked. "I'm assuming that both teams will have different roles, in this challenge."

"You are definitely correct! In this challenge, it'll be an incredibly tense game of Hide & Seek! Team Laau Pama will be the hunters, whilst Team Haupia will be the hunted." Alexa announced before dropping a large duffel bag of equipment at his own feet. "In this bag is the equipment both teams will need for this challenge, and I really outdid myself, so a little compliment wouldn't hurt."

King Dedede gave a chortle. "For makin' us the ones hiding, me complimentin' you is in your dreams!"

"Fair enough." Alexa gave a chuckle. "Anyway, the equipment consists of night vision goggles for both teams, and Team Haupia will get a special vest with a red sensor on the front and back of it. Team Laau Pama, on the other hand, will get a laser rifle for shooting these aforementioned sensors. One shot and their sensor will make a large buzzing noise, meaning they're out. To add to this, the guns are quite bulky and heavy, so aiming at them may be troublesome!"

"THEY GET LASER GUNS, AND I GET A VEST?!" Soldier queried, outraged. "I AM A SOLDIER, I DO NOT NEED TO WEAR THIS TUTU. GIVE ME A REAL GUN WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!"

He shook his head. "Sorry, but the rules are rules."

The mercenary sat down on a nearby rock, sulking to himself.

"There are also a few rules." Revealed Alexa. "No team is allowed to touch one another, and you cannot cover your sensor with your hands, arms, or anything. Doing so will result in an automatic disqualification! There are also some out-of-bounds areas too, like the ocean."

"I'm-a ready and excited to-a try and win, Mr. Host, but what is the goal for-a Haupia?" Mario asked with an optimistic, yet curious smile.

"The objective for Haupia is to survive for one hour! They will also get a minute headstart so they can run off and hide." He answered. "Now, get your equipment up, and I want both teams to get into rows!"

Some were really bummed out to do a challenge so late, and they were beginning to get quite sleepy. Nonetheless, they scrambled to their vests or their laser guns and grabbed them; the guns even had a strap to wear around the body of the person carrying it, as well as a name tag attached via rope of their names, for extra convenience.

Laau Pama was placed in a row, and Haupia was also placed in a row, in front of the other team by about two meters.

"When I blow this whistle, I want Haupia to run off and hide! I will blow it again another minute after that, which will be Laau Pama's cue to begin hunting them." The host explained. "One last thing: whoever eliminates the most Haupia members on Laau Pama will receive a special prize at the end of this challenge..."

Captain Falcon and Mario glanced to each other, knowing what they needed to do if they wanted to

This match will begin in 3..."

Most of the members on Haupia got into sprinting positions.

"2..."

"COME ON, COUNT QUICKER!" Papyrus rudely commanded.

"1! GO!" Alexa blew on his whistle, and the team sprinted out of the rockies and into the surrounding forest, most of them splitting up into their own paths to split up as much as possible.

Some people even entirely changed their course as soon as they were no longer visible in an attempt to fool Laau Pama.

Little Mac, Josuke, Soldier, and Papyrus planned to stay within the woods.

Geoffrey, King Dedede, and Mr. Krabs went to the outskirts of the forest, dividing the forest and the coast of the island, which had shrunk from the tide.

Wario was the only one back at their tribe, as he thought nobody would check to look there, at least not for a good while.

After a minute had passed, Alexa blew his whistle once more, and the eight Laau Pama hunters went off to find the members of Haupia.

On their gun, other than the trigger and laser, was a small timer that showed them how long they had left before time was up. Time management was an advantage that Haupia didn't have the luxury of having, as they had no gun in the first place.

*0 MINUTES INTO THE CHALLENGE*

The Laau Pama members had seeped into the forest, and all split up just like Haupia did, only with a different goal.

It wouldn't be easy, they might have had night vision, but it's still difficult to see living people, and the people they were looking for would probably be hiding behind a tree or anything that would provide them cover. Luckily, their footsteps were audible, which meant that they would likely hear a nearby Haupia member if they listened hard enough.

Wario had arrived at his tribe, and decided to hide next to the area that he and his tribe slept in; if only he was allowed to hide under it, but that would likely count as covering his sensor, so he had to settle for a worse hiding spot.

***5 MINUTES INTO THE CHALLENGE***

No eliminations had happened yet although Captain Falcon and Wii Fit Trainer are very close to Papyrus.

"STAY CALM, ME!" Papyrus repeated in his head, as the two of them drew closer.

Before he knew it, they were about to pass the tree he was hiding behind, and the skeleton's breathing grew shallow and rapid.

Just when they were about to look around the tree...

"YOU WILL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!" Soldier taunted, dashing through the trees.

The two turned their heads as they went after Soldier, who was also being chased by Reigen.

Papyrus wiped the sweat off of his skull before he heard a large buzzing sound come from behind him.

"NOOO! MY BLOOD, IT'S EVERYWHERE!" Soldier dramatically screamed.

"GOT HIM!" Captain Falcon exclaimed. "One down, seven to go!"

The skeleton then ran off before they returned, just barely avoiding a loss.

***15 MINUTES INTO THE CHALLENGE***

Unfortunately, due to being found out by the duo of Gordon and Mario, Mr. Krabs, Geoffrey, and King Dedede were all running along the outskirts of the forest, where they had planned to hide.

"I'm afraid this hiding spot didn't work out for us!" Geoffrey admitted.

"Ya think!? Just make sure they don't tag ya." Dedede ordered. "Or I won't be happy!"

Mr. Krabs was, unfortunately, lagging behind his comrades, causing him to be the target that the other two were aiming for.

"Quick, turn into the forest!" The crab yelled, as his sensor went off, eliminating him.

His other two teammates did as he asked, however, and turned into a small corridor of trees along the forest, making aiming incredibly difficult for the two.

"Here's an idea, let's split-" Dedede's sentence was cut off by the loud buzzing of his sensor. "NOOOO! RUN GEOFFREY!"

"What do you think I'm doing, sir?" Geoffrey wittily replied, dashing around the corner.

"You just gotta be pedantic, do ya?!" Dedede barked. "I'm goin' back to the middle since that's where I bet Alexa wants us to go."

"Aye, these lil' legs were better back in me' prime." Mr. Krabs sighed, catching up to the penguin.

As far as they knew, Geoffrey just managed to escape the clutches of Mario and Gordon. Mario managed to eliminate Mr. Krabs whilst Gordon got King Dedede.

***25 MINUTES INTO THE CHALLENGE***

Only six members of Haupia remained: Papyrus, Josuke, Wario, Geoffrey, Little Mac, and Sonic.

Papyrus and Geoffrey were fully away from other members, and Wario still had plenty of luck regarding his hiding spot. As for the others, they were worryingly close to a couple of Laau Pama members, especially Little Mac.

"Just stay calm..." He repeated to himself over and over again.

"Calm..."

"Calm..."

"Calm." Samus responded to his whispers, sticking her gun against his sensor and pulling the trigger.

Little Mac cursed himself for getting distracted as the loud buzzer rang through their ears, although Samus had the luxury of running away from the noise, whilst Little Mac had to wear it like it was an announcement that he shamefully lost.

"Little Mac is out." Samus told Reigen as she ran past. "Tell the others if you can."

***30 MINUTES INTO THE CHALLENGE***

Wario was picking his nose back at the tribe, half-peeking from his hiding spot as he started to get bored of waiting there, doing nothing.

Eventually, his eyes perked up to the sound of leaves and twigs crunching beneath the feet of someone.

He turned his head and slid back into his hiding spot, only to observe Josuke and Geoffrey running from a large group of Squidward, Reigen, Captain Falcon and Johnny.

"Woah, that was-a close..." Wario gave a relived smirk. "Those-a idiots can't even aim properly, my team has-a nothing to worry abo-"

*BZZZZZZT*

"DAMN IT!" Josuke shouted. "I was behind a tree, how did you shoot me?!"

*BZZZZZZT*

"Oh dear... looks like I'm out." Geoffrey proclaimed with defeat. "Well, a good game to you three! Good luck finding the others, considering the size of this island, you can't!"

"Pssh, there aren't that many trees around here, so finding people is more than easy! Just get original with your hiding spots." Squidward snorted.

Wario slinked even closer into his hiding spot, scared of him being the last man standing.

***45 MINUTES INTO THE CHALLENGE***

Sonic raced through the forest, a lot slower than what he wanted to since he made a lot of noise going through. He may be one of the fastest things alive, but crashing into a tree, as well as possibly keen ears on Laau Pama were keeping him from reaching an incredible speed.

Eventually, he slowed down as he found Papyrus, hiding in between two tiny shrubs.

"HELLO THERE, MOUSE." He greeted, decently quiet for a skeleton that's usually screaming. "DON'T STICK AROUND HERE FOR TOO LONG, WE CAN'T BE ELIMINATED IN A GROUP, THE GREAT PAPYRUS CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE ANOTHER ROUND."

"Alright, I'll get going, just glad to see that I'm not the only one lef-" Sonic's temporary was interrupted by the usual loud buzz, Samus had got him from behind.

Papyrus squealed and ran off, although his attempt to escape was short-lived, as Gordon came from behind a nearby tree and shot his sensor.

"NOT FAIR! WE'RE THE ONES SUPPOSED TO BE HIDING, NOT YOU!" He whined.

"That's everyone, right?" Gordon turned to Samus.

She shrugged. "I got Little Mac and Sonic, and Papyrus is gone."

"I also know that Mr. Krabs and Dedede are out." He responded.

"Hmmph, no surprise there." She rolled her eyes. "The largest, slowest figures being out was obvious enough, which means that Wario is also probably eliminated."

Johnny then ran up to them. "Hey, guess who ol' Johnny managed to eliminate? That's right, I shot the kid who stole my haircut!"

"Your pompadours look nothing alike, nor did he steal it from you, bloody doughnut..." Gordon put his hand over his face. "Do you know who else is eliminated?"

"Err... the fancy-pants guy, but Falcon got him." He added. "I think we won!"

"I dunno... Alexa hasn't called us back yet, and knowing him and his weird as all Hell technology, he'd probably know whether everyone's eliminated or not." He explained. "That leaves Soldier or Wario. I didn't expect either of them to be left."

Samus nodded. "Agreed, one's too loud and one's too big, so they must have found some hiding spot."

"Well we can't stand here all day, we got people to shoot!" Johnny sprinted off, holding his gun up.

"Strange... he didn't flirt with you or follow your orders like a mindless freak for once." Gordon turned away. "Looks like somebody's beginning to learn a little bit."

Samus groaned at his indirect insult before going off to find the last person herself.

***55 MINUTES INTO THE CHALLENGE***

Laau Pama was now running through the island like panicked animals, trying to find a single trace of the last person, who they later concluded to be Wario.

A group consisting of Mario, Captain Falcon, and Squidward were discussing where he could be.

"Gah, I knew this would-a happen." Mario groaned. "This island's to-a big to find this last person!"

"It's Wario apparently, didn't know someone that big, loud, and gross could have some stealth." Captain Falcon put his hands on his head, frustrated.

Squidward rolled his eyes. "Maybe we'd find that fatso if we got MOVING!"

"I know we need to get moving, but we need to know where he could be!" He exclaimed with mild panic in his voice. "Mario, where would Wario be? You guys know each other, right? What location seems like the most "Wario" location to you?!"

"...Well, we're-a rivals. I guess his mindset would be-a the opposite of where I usually am." Mario shrugged. "It's-a not like this gives us a hint, though."

Captain Falcon then had one idea spring into his mind. "You gave me an idea! One place that I didn't even think to check."

***58 MINUTES INTO THE CHALLENGE***

The pilot ran faster and faster to reach that location, and only a couple more minutes remained. It was now or never, or he'd be eliminated by Samus and her group, then the others would be shortly eliminated after that.

Thinking about this only caused him to run faster and more urgent.

***59 MINUTES INTO THE CHALLENGE***

"C'mon... say something you-a stupid host." Wario uttered under his breath, cramped in his hiding spot. "My back is-a starting to hurt from bending down so much."

Like he did earlier when he witnessed the elimination of Geoffrey and Josuke, he heard the nearby leaves and twigs crunching.

30 Seconds remained at that point, and Captain Falcon knew that he was nearly out of time; he didn't bother looking at his gun to check the time, however, as that'd make him go slightly slower when running over to their tribe.

It didn't stop him from sprinting into the Haupia tribe and frantically looking around before...

He looked to the left of the building where Haupia slept and saw a crouched Wario make eye contact with him.

Wario turned around and began running off, alarmed.

One clean shot from his laser rifle struck Wario, and the buzzing went off.

Mario and Squidward finally caught up to the two and began cheering.

"WE DID IT! WE'RE-A SAFE!" Mario jumped for joy.

"You call that a hiding spot?!" Chortled Squidward before walking back to the rockies. "Hopefully that lazy host will give us some sort of sign that we won."

Captain Falcon then pointed to his gun's timer, which had frozen at exactly six seconds left.

"That was close..." He sighed with nothing but relief and joy, it was finally over, and they were finally safe...

He walked back to the rockies where Alexa and the others were at, other members of Laau Pama trickled in from the woods.

After five more minutes and after everyone had returned, the host gave a round of applause.

"Thank you for giving the camera crew such a workout, survivors! That was a tense game, I imagine." Alexa asked. "But alas, it ends with Laau Pama's second victory! I'm impressed at how split the win to loss ratio is for both of the teams, you guys are forces to be reckoned with. Hand me your guns, Laau Pama, and everyone will now return their other equipment to the duffel bag."

As Alexa got his hands on the guns, he tuned them to a different setting, changing the timer to an elimination count that the survivors had, as well as a counter for how many times they fired the weapon; this is why the guns were labeled.

After tuning each one, he read out the scores one by one.

Captain Falcon: 3 (Soldier, Geoffrey, Wario). Eighteen shots.

Samus: 2 (Little Mac, Sonic). Three shots.

Gordon: 2 (King Dedede, Papyrus). Twenty-three shots.

Mario: 1 (Mr. Krabs). Fifteen shots.

Johnny: 1 (Josuke). Eight shots.

Wii Fit Trainer: 0. Five shots.

Reigen: 0. Five shots.

Squidward: 0. Eight shots.

"Captain Falcon has the highest elimination count, whilst Samus by far has the best accuracy, with a whopping 66.7% success rate per shot. Lowest elimination count is tied between Wii Fit Trainer, Reigen, and Squidward whilst the worst accuracy technically goes to Squidward, as he shot more shots than the other two with no eliminations, but none of them hit."

"I can't believe I'm technically last! Getting beat by some nutjob with a bird emblem, a lowlife chef and plumber, AND a stuck-up brute with an awful haircut is insulting! It's not my fault that the gun was awkward to hold..." - Squidward Tentacles.

Alexa then pointed to Captain Falcon. "Since you got the most eliminations, it's time to receive your prize! That prize is... guaranteed immunity for the next time your loses!"

As he casually gave out the reward, Squidward's face dropped, whilst Samus looked only slightly annoyed. Unfortunately for Mario, the news made him glad that his friend was fine, but now he was even more likely to be on the chopping block. Nonetheless, the plumber decided to just keep on winning for his team, so he has no opportunity to be eliminated.

"Thanks, Alexa! I really needed this." He grinned.

"This DOES expire after three challenges discluding this one, however." Alexa added. "Meaning that you won't have this special immunity forever."

"Doesn't matter, I'm grateful." Insisted Captain Falcon.

"Well, good! Laau Pama may leave and get some rest." He hastily beckoned them away before turning to Haupia. "Unlucky, but for you guys, your next Tribal Council begins one hour after midnight, so you won't be getting your beauty-sleep for some time!"

Geoffrey rolled his eyes. "It's not like I get any sleep with what I sleep on, anyways, this is just a very slightly more miserable night for me."

They then walked off on Alexa's command, the moonlight being their only source of light.

* * *

**Team Haupia: Night 8**

Survivors: Mr. Krabs - Papyrus - Josuke Higashikata - Wario - Geoffrey Butler - Soldier - King Dedede - Little Mac - Sonic

Haupia was troubled by their loss. Before, they had Gruntilda to fall back on, as she was an incredibly easy person to target, and nobody had any quarrels with voting the witch out. Be that as it may, people still had some ideas of who to vote for; in fact, everyone had at least one idea of a potential target, many were overlapping with others.

The team was almost back to tribe, as they were still walking back from the challenge that had conceded a few minutes ago.

People were mostly silent outside of occasional chit-chat, aside from the vocal Wario and Soldier, who were distant from the rest of the group with their journey home.

"I AM UPSET THAT WE HAVE LOST!" Soldier proclaimed. "YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO OUR TRIBE, AND THIS ALLIANCE, FOR LOSING!"

"WAH?!" Wario spat, his eye twitching with rage. "DON'T-A BLAME ME! I was-a out last, and I almost won, yet you were-a out first according to the skeleton!"

The crazed gunman simply turned his head away from Soldier, which came off as painfully immature. "I do not wish to speak to you any further!"

Wario folded his arms and silently agreed, refusing to take part in any more conversation with the mercenary. "Jag-off..."

After another minute of walking, they could see their tribe through the sparse trees in the distance, and Wario was reminded of how he had to vote somebody off this Tribal Council. He then mentally went through each possible answer in his head.

Sonic, Josuke and Little Mac were too strong and useful to vote off just yet, Geoffrey's reputation is pretty high too. That leaves Mr. Krabs, Papyrus, and King Dedede.

He found Mr. Krabs to be the most annoying out of the group, especially considering he ditched the idea of an alliance and left Wario with Soldier, the most useless companion he could have ever asked for. Papyrus was also annoying and a terrible cook, but Wario somehow minded his incessant yelling a lot more than the others. King Dedede was rather annoying to Wario and a slight burden due to his increased ration size, but he was very strong, and whilst he hated Mr. Krabs, he was surprisingly decent at challenges that catered to his powerful and sharp claws.

It was a difficult choice, but the bitterness towards Krabs lead the treasure hunter to his conclusion, but he knew it would be a challenge to eliminate him, even with an extra two votes on his side thanks to his idol.

Wario then felt an idea spring into his head, and he peered over to Soldier, who was juggling rocks, clearly enjoying it due to his raspy chuckling.

"If I get that-a stupid Soldier guy to try and convince the others to Mr. Krabs, then that would-a be the best outcome for me! Either the idiot makes an awful impression and-a gets eliminated, or they somehow listen to him and eliminates that-a crusty old jerk! WAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!" - Wario.

"Hey, idiot!" He crudely got his attention. "I thought of-a good idea regarding tonight's elimination!"

"Hmm... go on." Soldier nodded.

Wario pointing to their tribe, and the people beginning to come in and sit down to discuss tonight's elimination. "You-a know Mr. Krabs? He seems to be targeting you, and if we both get the others on our-a side to vote him off, then that old man will be eliminated! You'll be safe, I'll be safe, and we will still have this-a precious idol!"

"THAT... RED CRAB!" He growled, gritting his teeth. If his eyes were any more sinister, then they would glow red! "I WILL TURN HIM INTO SEAFOOD."

"Hang-a on there, you-a buffoon!" He stood in front of him. "Just try and get-a everyone on your side to vote him off."

"Don't worry... I will." Soldier uttered under his breath, before stomping over to the tribe.

Whilst his plan was in motion, the mercenary may spill the fact that Wario told him the lie, which made him a lot more anxious over how things could go down between the two. It'll soon be his turn to be eliminated if he's unlucky.

He hobbled into the tribe himself, coming from a slightly different angle to make himself look like he wasn't even near Soldier on the route home, that way people wouldn't suspect him of fuelling Soldier's intentions.

"Let's see how he-a handles it..." Wario grinned.

Mr. Krabs watched as Soldier stomped up to him, intimidatingly furious.

"What are you starin' at me for, yer barnacle-head?!" He hissed, beginning to get angry himself. "Don't look at me like tha-"

In an instant, he was picked up by the collar of his shirt and held up to eye-level.

"Whoa! What the heck is happenin' with you two?!" Dedede laughed. "This'll be fun."

Geoffrey put his hand on Soldier's shoulder. "I don't think violence is necessarily allowed in this show, you may be eliminated if you choose to hit Soldier. There are cameras watching..."

"I don't know how but, this Soldier guy scares me. He's just so unpredictable and odd, and I feel like he could just randomly choose to beat someone up at any moment, not that I'd let him get the chance if he decided to attack me." - Josuke Higashikata.

He simply spat and darted his eyes back to the petrified crab. "LISTEN HERE! I'LL TURN YOU INTO CALAMARI IF YOU EVER TRY TO VOTE ME OUT, AND THAT GOES FOR EVERYONE HERE!"

"AHEM, CALAMARI IS MADE FROM SQUID, EVEN I KNOW THA-" Papyrus was interrupted by the cold, dead and angry stare of Soldier, which was menacing enough to make Papyrus choke on his words.

"What are ye talking about?! I haven't even thought of voting out anyone yet!" Mr. Krabs squealed. "Let go of me!"

"EVERYONE HERE, I ADVISE YOU ALL VOTE THIS CRAB FOR BEING A THREAT TO MY CHANCES OF WINNING THE MONEY!" Soldier announced. "DO SO OR I WILL BREAK YOUR FACE!"

"Let go of the crab, or it looks like we'll both be getting eliminated for harming others." Josuke threatened, drawing slightly closer.

He simply cackled as his eyes made contact with his haircut.

The threatening aura surrounding Josuke caused him to drop Mr. Krabs and focus on the teenager, the crustacean quickly scrambled away from the commotion, relieved yet still scared.

"GET A HAIRCUT, YOU HIPPIE!" He barked. "WHAT MORON CHOOSES TO HAVE PURPLE HAIR, ESPECIALLY IN THE SHAPE OF MY BOOT."

The insult towards his hair caused the usually kind and calm Josuke to clench both of his fists incredibly hard.

"Well, maybe it's just a sign that my foot's going to go up your ass if you continue mocking my hair." Josuke scowled, his eye twitching.

"Deciding who to vote is even easier than last time." Little Mac whispered to Sonic.

"True all the way! I don't want Josuke getting into trouble for beating Soldier senselessly though." The hedgehog replied.

Soldier, unknowing of Josuke's offensive capabilities regarding Crazy Diamond, poked his hair, giving a snarky grin. "Looks like somebody used up all of their hair-gel! I'll send you into orbit, Sputnik!"

As soon as they saw Josuke ready his arm to summon his stand and simultaneously smack Soldier in the jaw, Little Mac and Sonic rushed in and held him back, telling him to calm down over and over again.

"Hit him and you'll get into some deep trouble, maybe even elimination! You can spit right back into his face as soon as he's eliminated, just leave it be." Little Mac pleaded.

Whilst Crazy Diamond had incredible power, Josuke himself was easy to drag away from the Soldier.

Wario sniggered at the events, as they were completely unexpected, even for a mentally insane person like the mercenary he had partnered with. Dedede was also amused, but only because it was entertaining conflict.

Unfortunately, what Soldier bellowed next would forever cause Wario mischief.

"AM I DOING THE PART RIGHT?" He turned his head to him, causing his face to flush with shock.

Everyone else, including the already angry Josuke, stared at him.

"Waaah? What are you-a looking at me for!" Wario shrugged. "I didn't-a say anything about this!"

"Aye, looks like yer alliance is still goin', ay Wario?" Mr. Krabs gloated bitterly. "This is all your doing?!"

"His doing or not, I'm definitely more concerned about the one who's trying to fight everybody rather than the manipulator." Geoffrey expressed his opinion, glaring at the two of them. "I definitely didn't want my night to go like this, that's for sure, so thanks a lot you two."

"I never get any sleep at this time, and now I probably won't get any sleep because of today's events! Truly an amazing tribe

His jaw dropped as his entire reputation crashed like a train.

As Soldier slowly calmed down as he realized Wario wasn't impressed, Josuke also calmed down over the physical mockery of his hair.

"Thanks a lot, guys, I was too close to beating him senselessly." He admitted.

"He deserves at least a punch, but unfortunately we can't give him one." Frowned Little Mac.

Soon after this incredibly unexpected series of events, they all went to participate in their second Tribal Council...

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 8**

One after the other, the Haupia members got comfortable once more in the drab eerie location that is Tribal Council. Like with Laau Pama, they somehow felt more dread going the second time, probably because of how established it is.

As they did before, they sat on their designated seats...

"Hello, Team Haupia!" Alexa greeted with a wink. "You guys seem a bit worse than last time, did the late-night get ya down?"

"Well gettin' picked up by an insane person at midnight isn't really gonna put me in a good mood!" Mr. Krabs justified his gloomy mood. "Besides, who can even go to this crummy place with a smile?

"I surely can! Tonight was one juicy drama-fest." King Dedede snickered.

The host raised an eyebrow. "Did somebody get hurt? C'mon, you guys knew that I'd punish you with elimination if you hurt someone... excessively... I wasn't informed of this by any of the crew so I assume it wasn't bad enough."

"Well it was pretty bad, it was more of a close-shave than anything." Sonic elaborated. "Luckily nobody got hurt, just a bit scared."

"Hmm, King Dedede, how do you think this will impact your votes?" Alexa questioned.

"It's probably going to impact the next TWO councils if I'm honest with ya." The penguin looked at Wario and Soldier. "Especially thanks to these two hooligans!"

"I'M-A INNOCENT, BELIEVE ME!" Wario begged.

He got a pretty big idea of who were the two elimination candidates due to Dedede's comment, and Alexa decided to stop the questions slightly earlier than usual because of this fact.

"Well, let's get voting!" He announced.

Soldier: PACK YOUR BAGS AND GO HOME SON, YOUR DAYS ARE OVER! (Mr. Krabs)

Mr. Krabs: I can't believe I almost got beaten up by some looney for no reason! He is right though, he's now my target! Arkarkarkark! (Soldier)

King Dedede: Before this whole commotion I was gonna vote Soldier, but that was until I realized that the chubby fella is a lot more dangerous considerin' he probably told that guy to attack the poor crab! I oughta eliminate him before he manipulates anyone else. (Wario)

Papyrus: NYEHEHEHEH! TRIBAL COUNCILS ARE ALWAYS SO GENEROUS WITH GIVING ME OBVIOUS VOTING CHOICES. (?)

Sonic: He almost got someone in my alliance eliminated in the most shameful way possible, of course I'm totally voting for him! (Soldier)

"Before I begin, would anyone like to use one of their idols?" Alexa asked.

Wario decided to take a small gamble and not use his idol suspecting that everyone else was targeting Soldier instead of him.

...

...

...

"No? Then I shall read out the votes!" Alexa proclaimed.

* * *

***VOTING TIME***

First vote goes to Soldier. ("WHAT?! WHICH ONE OF YOU VOTED FOR ME?!" Soldier bellows, yet predictably receives no answer.)

Second vote goes to Wario. One vote Wario, one vote Soldier.

Third vote goes to Mr. Krabs. One vote Mr. Krabs, one vote Wario, and one vote Soldier. ("Boy, I wonder who voted for me!" Mr. Krabs sarcastically comments.)

Fourth vote goes to Soldier. Two votes Soldier, one vote Mr. Krabs, and one vote Wario. ("ANOTHER ONE?!" Soldier exclaims, this time louder.)

Fifth vote goes to Wario. Two votes Wario, two votes Soldier, one vote Mr. Krabs. (Wario grinds his teeth at the second vote.)

Sixth vote goes to Soldier. Three votes Soldier, two votes Wario, and one vote Mr. Krabs. ("WHAAAAA?!")

Seventh vote goes to Soldier. That's four votes Soldier, two votes Wario, and one vote Mr. Krabs.

"And the one eliminated at a 6-2-1 vote is..." Alexa holds his breath.

...

"Soldier! Please hand me your torch, as your time in Survivor is officially over." Alexa asked.

"THIS IS..." He freezes. "Aww, fine, you can have this grimy torch, we don't even get to carry it around!"

"You'd probably burn down the forest if I let you have it." He retaliated, causing Sonic to chuckle.

He then snuffed the mercenary's torch and pointed to the exit. "Please leave Tribal Council immediately."

"Wait, I'm eliminated too?" Soldier asked. "I thought I only lost my torch!?"

"..." Alexa sighed. "You're eliminated, just leave."

"Pfft, well, this tea-party wasn't interesting enough anyway." The soldier turned to his tribe. "I may have been hated for an unknown reason, judging by the votes, but I'm counting on you soldiers to kick Laau Pama's ASS!"

He gave a powerful American salute before marching down the walkway, his elimination a relief to many.

"Soldier was one unpredictable fella, and he sounded like a huge handful to you all! He was pretty good at strength challenges, but unfortunately, his insanity was too much to bear, and it resulted in his elimination. Please return to your tribes and get your much-needed sleep, Haupia!" Alexa waved them goodbye.

* * *

Soldier's Last Words: "This was COMPLETELY UNFAIR! However, I do hope that the winner is somebody from my team, even if it's that disgraceful CRAB! I just get rage thinking about it, and that rage is the rage of WAR!"

* * *

**VOTES**

Soldier's Voters: Wario, Josuke, Sonic, Little Mac, Papyrus, Mr. Krabs.

Wario's Voters: King Dedede, Geoffrey.

Mr. Krabs' Voters: Soldier.

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Wario.

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon. (USED)

Idol of Mirroring - Geoffrey Butler.

Idol of ? - Unknown

The ? Idol - Unknown

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

Team Laau Pama (Green Team)

\- Mario

\- Johnny Bravo

\- Samus Aran

\- Captain Falcon

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Squidward Tentacles

\- Arataka Reigen

\- Gordon Ramsay

Team Haupia (White Team)

\- Mr. Krabs

\- Papyrus

\- Josuke Higashikata

\- Wario

\- Geoffrey Butler

\- King Dedede

\- Little Mac

\- Sonic

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this two-parter! See you all next episode of Survivor Crossover - Tropics!


	8. Episode 5 - New Tribe, New Me!

Episode 5: New Tribe, New Me.

**The Coast: Day 9**

As soon as their morning came to an end, both teams were called up to report to the coastline of the island, their usual challenge spot. Haupia's members as a whole felt a lot groggier than usual due to their awful sleep schedule last night, yet this unexpected event even caused them to bat an eye.

"Why are we here? I'm tryin' to get some of my sleep back!" King Dedede hissed. "A king like me needs twelve hours of sleep daily if he wants to perform the best he can!"

"You think that's bad? Imagine trying to sleep on that boat ride home, Soldier must feel awful." Geoffrey shuddered. "It certainly makes me grateful for my few hours of sleep."

Mr. Krabs rolled his eyes at the mention of the fallen member. "Aye, ye think a psycho like him actually sleeps?"

"That is a good point there, Eugene." He responded. "It looks like Alexa has finally arrived back! He'll fill us in on why we're here."

"Hello, survivors! I know you're really not in the mood to have your sleep or your day cut off by an announcement, but..." Alexa rubbed his arm. "This is ONE big announcement! It'll probably change up your game from now on."

"Well get explaining then, Alexa." Barked Squidward, rubbing his drowsy eyes with his tentacles.

He nodded before pacing back and forth between the two groups. "You see, survivors, I feel like things are becoming a little too... how do I put this? Predictable?"

"Predictable?" Wii Fit Trainer raised her eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well sure there are idols and special twists I like to add, but from the looks of it, Haupia's next target is obvious, and Laau Pama has two super unbalanced factions." Described the host. "Sure, things may change, but I feel like I can do you guys one better."

Wario frowned at the mention of Alexa talking about Haupia's "next target".

"Here's what I've done!" He cleared his throat, preparing the announcement. "Both teams have been shuffled around; what a surprising turn of events!"

Many people stared at Alexa as if he was some insane sadist, but he simply smiled back to attempt to annoy them.

As for Captain Falcon, Gordon, and Mario, they all glanced at one another, questioning if what they're seeing is actually real.

"C'mon guys, not only is this going to save some people on the chopping block, but new alliances and rivalries should form! Heck, maybe old alliances could possibly stay untouched in this new format, but that's pretty unlikely." He admitted. "So, let's stop prolonging it and reveal the two new teams!"

New Laau Pama (Green Team)

\- Mario

\- Papyrus

\- Samus Aran

\- Josuke Higashikata

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Geoffrey Butler

\- Gordon Ramsay

\- King Dedede

New Haupia (White Team)

\- Johnny Bravo

\- Mr. Krabs

\- Captain Falcon

\- Wario

\- Squidward Tentacles

\- Little Mac

\- Arataka Reigen

\- Sonic

"Oh, great, now I'm in the same team as Mr. Krabs. I joined this competition to escape the boring cashier life, and yet I'm placed in the same team as the person who's responsible for such a life! I may work for him, but he'd want to work for ME after I win this competition, and that's a fact I'm going to be gleeful to see! Not to mention I'll escape SpongeBob AND Patrick at last!" - Squidward Tentacles.

"Oooh, Mr. Squidward is on my team. Maybe we could team up as a classic manager-employee combo? If he gets me far enough then I may boost his pay by a few pennies as a little thank you gift!" - Mr. Krabs.

"WAHAHAHA! I may still be in a little bit of-a trouble, but my chances of surviving are-a much higher thanks to the four newbies on my-a team! That cash prize will be WARIO'S, NO MATTER WHAT! WAAAAHAHAHAHA!" - Wario.

"New Laau Pama will return to the Laau Pama tribe, whilst New Haupia will return to the Haupia tribe. No matter who you are, this game has officially changed for you!" Alexa grinned. "Now please return to your tribes!"

The survivors walked off in their new tribe groups, some were a bit upset at the people they were with, especially Squidward, whilst others were simply glad to have their chances of being booted off lowered.

* * *

**New Laau Pama: Day 9**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Josuke Higashikata - Wii Fit Trainer - Geoffrey Butler - Gordon Ramsay - King Dedede

The four ex-Haupia members walked alongside their new comrades into their tribe, and things were awkward as the change was so sudden.

"SO... HELLO LAAU PAMA!" Papyrus greeted. "I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND THESE ARE MY ALLIES: GHOST KID, MY BUTLER, AND THIS BIG ROYAL PENGUIN!"

"Give me a break..." Samus groaned.

"I'm already not taking a liking to this new team, especially that skeleton. Does he have to be so obnoxiously loud with everything he says? He was like this in the challenges I witnessed him in." - Samus Aran.

Mario jumped into the air with joy. "Hello, I'm-a Mario!"

"Cool, you can jump pretty high, you know that right?" Josuke admitted. "That's how I lost that Dodgeball challenge."

"Don't worry, I'm aware!" He chuckled. "You're a ghost?"

The teenager shook his head. "No, I just have a Stand, and I assume you don't know what that is."

"Sounds interesting, your strength is incredibly strange for someone so young, and even for a human!" Said Gordon. "Can you show us it?"

He simply gave a shrug. "Sorta?"

Josuke proceeded to walk over to the clay cooking pot they were about to cook the rice in and grabbed it with both hands.

He then threw it at a nearby tree, smashing it to pieces.

"NOT AGAIN!" Papyrus cried.

"What the *CENSORED*?!" Gordon exclaimed with confusion and anger. "What the Hell is wrong with you?!"

"Great, nothing to cook with, and two confirmed burdens to our team. How exactly did they get this far?" Samus asked her other team members.

"No clue!" Wii Fit Trainer exclaimed, still in shock over the unpredictable act. "W-why would he do that?"

King Dedede knew about Josuke's powers and was wheezing with laughter at the reactions of the Laau Pama members. "Hoo boy, wait 'til they see what he can do!"

"Fellow teammates, please calm yourselves, Josuke is just demonstrating his powers." Geoffrey pleaded.

The chef looked at the butler as if he were mad, going slightly red. "What do you mean calm myself?! This *CENSORED* kid just threw a clay pot at a tree and you expect me to calm down?! We have no more food, now!"

"Don't worry! Just watch." Josuke got their attention once more as he summoned his stand. "CRAZY DIAMOND!"

Soon after, the stand punched one of the shards, causing all of them to stick together, fixing the clay pot.

"OH, RIGHT! I FORGOT ABOUT THAT PART." Papyrus added.

Everyone from Laau Pama were speechless, and their reactions were so bewildered and surprised, even from Samus, that Geoffrey began laughing himself alongside the tearing-up Dedede.

"Gh..." Gordon twitched, looking at Josuke who had a naive smile on his face. "You, you fixed it?"

Wii Fit Trainer ran up and grabbed the clay pot from the ground, running her fingers along the surface and peeping inside of it. "I can't see or feel any cracks, it's as good as it was before!"

"That's my power! I guess I should've told you about my power first, that would've been a lot less stressful for you all." Josuke scratched the back of his head.

"Agreed, don't scare us like that! Stress is a big poison to the body, and it can cause things such as..." Wii Fit Trainer began listing every single possible symptom of excessive stress, causing Josuke's face to drop.

After half a minute of listing, she shook her head at him. "Please don't stress people out if you want us to succeed in this show!"

"I-I'm sorry." He choked on his words a little bit, taken back by the shunning he received. "I'll inform people next time if there is a next time."

"Something about her is a bit scary, especially when she went into that rant. How does she know all of those symptoms, too? I guess I shouldn't be too shocked that someone called "Wii Fit Trainer" is a health-nut with intense moral standards.

"DON'T TELL 'EM IF YA SEE HIM!" Dedede said in between roars of laughter. "Imagine that weird squid guy's FACE!"

"Well, Squidward could always use a slap on the face for treating others like they are nothing but dirt." She admitted. "But that's beside the point!"

Samus rolled her eyes. "Well, this is a great start to this "new" tribe. Everyone got terrified then confused, and now everybody's laughing like a bunch of idiots."

"Better than-a drama!" Mario reminded.

"This technically was drama, but unlike the other kind, it got solved." Gordon chimed in.

"NOW, WITH OUR FIXED CLAY POT, IT IS TIME FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS TO MAKE DINNER!" The skeleton announced. "I SHALL MAKE THE USUAL CUISINE: RICE AND BEANS!"

Gordon folded his arms. "Hold on a second there, you're a chef too?"

"WELL, IF YOU SAY SO." He nodded, flattered. "WAIT, ANOTHER CHEF!"

"You're a skeleton, you sure you know how to cook for humans?" Wii Fit Trainer questioned.

He nodded. "YES! AS MY FELLOW TEAMMATES WILL TELL YOU."

"He can't cook, please get the actual chef to do it please!" King Dedede begged.

"The cooking talent of The Pompous Papyrus is as good as my salary." Wittily replied Geoffrey.

Josuke simply shook his head at the claim that he knew how to cook for humans.

"N-NYEH?!" Papyrus' eyes widened.

"Looks like we got our answer." Samus pointed to Gordon. "He's the cook."

"WH..." He continued to look more and more shocked before a sad expression formed on his face. "I SEE HOW IT IS..."

"PEOPLE ON MY TEAM WOULD RATHER HAVE A HUMAN DO THE COOKING FOR THEM, RATHER THAN A TALENTED AND HANDSOME SKELETON?! IT'S A HARD TO SWALLOW PILL, BUT IF THEY WANT TO MISS OUT ON MORE BRILLIANT COOKING FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, THEN THAT IS NOT MY PROBLEM! IT'S SIMPLY THEIR PROBLEM." - Papyrus.

When Gordon began cooking dinner, Papyrus sneakily observed how he did it to see why the others wanted him to cook instead. The process outside of the cooking time was overall a lot different, as Gordon cooked the rice and beans for much longer.

After the chef served the food to everyone else, Papyrus once again observed the reactions.

"Finally, rice that ain't crunchy!" Dedede licked his lips before inhaling the dish.

"Allowing the rice and beans to cook for longer enhances the texture and flavor." Gordon explained. "Was Papyrus not cooking it for long enough?"

"Yeah, though he did improve a little bit after Little Mac told him to cook it for just a little bit longer." Josuke defended. "It wasn't INEDIBLE, I managed to clean my bowl so it must have been edible."

"HMMM..." The skeleton uttered his breath. "LOOKS LIKE I COULD LEARN A THING OR TWO FROM THIS MASTERFUL CHEF..."

* * *

**New Haupia: Day 9**

Survivors: Johnny Bravo - Mr. Krabs - Captain Falcon - Wario - Squidward Tentacles - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen - Sonic

Most of Team Haupia had an easier time getting used to their new teammates compared to their enemies. However, some people such as Squidward were incredibly annoyed at the new teammates they were placed with.

"Not only do I get a smelly loud loser, some lousy barnacle-head who wears boxing gloves to a show like this, some weird furry creature and Mr. Krabs of all people, but I'm also with that stupid brute, Captain Falcon, and Reigen! I've stayed with the worst teammates and my new teammates are somehow even worse! This completely sucks." - Squidward Tentacles.

"Aye, Mr. Squidward doesn't seem too happy, probably because he's with that Wario guy, I know how frustrating that stinky fella can get, especially after manipulatin' that crazy bucket-wearing lad yesterday! Maybe we can put our heads together and get that chump eliminated." - Mr. Krabs.

Johnny observed his new teammate Mr. Krabs, whilst occasionally glancing back to Squidward.

"There are two sea creatures..." He said to himself. "How are they not reverse-drowning?"

"You mean suffocation?" Little Mac raised an eyebrow.

Johnny gave a slightly ignorant odd. "Yeah sure whatever. Hang on a sec, are you a boxer?"

"Were the gloves a giveaway?" He grinned. "Of course I am! I'm one of the most famous and successful boxers in the world, thanks to my trainer and the WVBA!"

"WV-what-now?" He queried.

"The World Video Boxing Association." Elaborated Little Mac. "I'm the World Champion, and I've kept my title for a long time now!"

Johnny zoned out for most of what he said and continued to keep the subject basic. "Neat that we got a boxer, I'm one of the world's greatest fighters around!"

"I highly doubt that." Squidward snarkily laughed. "Though I appreciate your indirect attempt to put me in a good mood..."

He began posing a couple of times. "I can do Karate. HAH, YAH, HIYAH!"

As Johnny showed off his "incredible experience" in Karate, people either gawked with disbelief at how stupid he looked, or laughed at his moves.

"WAAAHAHA! DO MORE, YOU LOOK LIKE A TOTAL IDIOT!" Wario broke into uncontrollable laughter.

"Looks like I've stirred up quite the audience." Johnny noticed. "Story of my life, and that's exactly what I do to try and get the ladies."

"Yeah, I'd put more of an emphasis on "try" if I were you." Sonic teased with a smug look on his face. "Anyone can do Karate with training! Even little kids can."

"Ahem, I know a dangerous lass in my town who knows and does Karate with me fry cook SpongeBob, it's a force not to be reckoned with." Warned Mr. Krabs. "Trust me."

"The lobster gets it, HEIYA!" Johnny continued doing more poses.

Captain Falcon scratched the back of his neck, riddled with confusion. "Posing isn't really Karate, you know that right? I get you can't harm anyone but you're sorta making a fool of yourself there bud."

Johnny then paused an observed everyone around him, none of them looked impressed with his skills.

Despite this obvious breakthrough that he was acting like a complete nutjob, he did one more "Karate" pose and stopped. "I'm all tuckered out now, when's the food cookin'? In fact, where's that chef guy, he makes some killer rice and beans."

"Err, Gordon stayed at Laau Pama." Reigen revealed.

Even though it was obvious, he dropped to his knees and let out a dramatic "NOOOO!".

"I can't believe it! Sure he was one of my enemies, but now I'm gonna have to make do with having others cook the meals, a-and what if they aren't good enough? Even worse... what if I get the cooking duties?!" - Johnny Bravo.

Mr. Krabs wrung his hands with an interested look. "Is that "Gordon" lookin' for a job?"

"WAAAHAHAHA!" Wario taunted with more laughter. "Like any chef would like to-a work for a crummy underwater restaurant ran by a crab!"

"Aye, get back in yer place there Wario, you're on the chopping block enough as it is, lad." He threatened.

"Oh, right, I don't think the others know of what Wario did yet." Little Mac said.

"Huh? No, I don't think any of us are aware." Reigen put his hands on his hips. "I don't want to join this team just to know a dirty secret about someone, but if it's really important to tell us right now and right here, then go ahead..."

Sonic gave a nod. "Yeah, let's tell them the next time we lose! We can't kill the good mood already, people are already having fun and are laughing, this is no time for drama!"

Little Mac groaned. "Alright, but don't think you're off so easily just yet, Wario!"

"Sheesh, the more I think about what that grimy jerk said to Soldier the angrier I get. Not only did he manipulated an explosive unstable man into almost eliminating himself by beating up an innocent person, but that also nearly caused one of my alliance partners to get involved! I guess I should look on the bright side more, Josuke could just beat the crap out of him then heal him to avoid a punishment... now I lost half of my alliance and an understanding person like Geoffrey, so it'll take just a little more effort to get him eliminated!" - Little Mac.

Reigen gave a relieved grin. "Good! I've had my fair share of drama for a full week, so I'm just going to let bygones be bygones for the time being."

"Pssh, you shouldn't let grudges go so easily! You can't trust people as easily in a time and place like this." Mr. Krabs added.

"Well, making bad impressions because of those grudges will result in your demise, and that's a fact." He argued back. "I know this thing that Wario "did" will result in more than an easy vote, and that's coming from the Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century!"

"Psychic!? C'mon, I know someone on this-a island with actual spiritual powers, I think you'll have to prove it if you want anyone to-a believe you." Wario grunted. "You look more-a ordinary than anyone here!"

Although Reigen agreed that he looked the most ordinary (Gordon having an intimidation factor and Wii Fit Trainer having odd, non-humane features such as snow-white skin) out of everyone on the island, at least since Peter's elimination, he still chuckled at Wario's claim. "Well, I just told you! Your unknown drama will result in more than one casualty, at least in the long term."

"I think it's time I start having a little bit of fun with this game instead of sitting back and being spoonfed orders from someone. It's not like I'm anywhere near close to being a threat that needs to go down, so I can have my fun a little bit." - Arataka Reigen.

Wario simply rolled his eyes. "What-a-ever! I'm more interested in seeing if this-a team can cope with these challenges, otherwise, we'll be losing!"

"Don't worry, with my strength, our chances of losing have been lowered." Johnny assured. "...By a random amount."

"Yeah, by one percent!" He snapped back with a chortle.

"I've sparred with you a couple of times before, Wario." Captain Falcon reminded. "You're aware of my strength!"

Wario shrugged before giving a cocky smirk. "Quite weak, I would-a say!"

"What the?! Why does everyone know each other so much? Is there some secret underground alliance that I don't know of?" Johnny asked.

Reigen chuckled. "I noticed that too, but not all of them seem to be pretty friendly with one another."

...

"So what are we waiting for? Johnny may be-a dense but he's-a still onto the whole "who's making dinner" shtick!" Wario questioned. "Is it going to be-a Little Mac?"

"You're trusting a guy wearing boxing gloves with making dinner?" Squidward raised his eyebrow. "I don't want one of those filthy sweaty gloves to touch the clay pot, that is if everyone's okay with getting disease-ridden."

"Don't imply I'm not hygienic!" Little Mac hissed. "I wash myself and my gloves, AND my clothes whenever I can on this island, the sea creature shouldn't be dictating who and who shouldn't be cooking."

Mr. Krabs nodded. "He's right, Mr. Squidward!"

"Wha... you're a sea creature too!" The marine animal flared up with a hint of bemusement in his voice.

Suddenly, Little Mac removed both of his gloves, revealing his remarkably clean hands.

"I'll be the one cooking if you don't mind." He shot a complacent look towards Squidward, who turned his head away in an attempt to ignore him.

Whilst the tribe had a mix between friendliness and hostility, it seemed like they would soon warm up to one another soon enough, as they can only go so long without getting used to such a change, and the same would go for New Laau Pama. Both teams were in for one heck of a ride, and this twist alone was proof of Survivor's incredible and almost annoying unpredictability.

* * *

**Challenge: Day 10**

The challenge location was back at the beach, which was a pretty big disappointment to a few survivors, as the fine sand getting on them was often bothersome and annoying to clean up, especially when seawater may be efficient at cleaning sand, but it makes it cling to them easier too. In short, all survivors would rather be back at the Rockies, albeit not at night.

"Welcome to your first challenge with your new allies, New Laau Pama and New Haupia!" Alexa wrung his hands, brimming with pure excitement. "Since you're all getting to know each other, I thought it'd be great if I made this challenge a trust exercise!"

"A trust... what-now?" Squidward raised his eyebrow. "Please don't tell me I have to rely on someone to make me do well..."

He shook his head slowly. "Don't worry! If you want, YOU will be the one they'll have to rely on. To put it simply, two pairs of two, one from each team, will partake in one of these four mini-challenges. One person in a pair will be blindfolded completely; they won't be able to see a thing! The other person in that pair will guide them to finishing the challenge, and the first pair to beat one of those mini-challenges will earn a point for their team! By the end of these four challenges, the team who has the most points will win. Sound simple?"

"Sure, bu-" Little Mac was interrupted by Alexa.

"Damn it, why are you guys always asking questions about my challenges?!" He snapped. "I lay them out as simple as can be yet I'm still getting questions... what do you want, Little Mac?"

"Err, well, I'm just wondering what happens if we get a tie. There are four mini-challenges, right, so it's really easy for both teams to get two points each." He explained. "What would that mean for us?"

Alexa paused. "Well, that IS a good question, but I got a pretty good tie-breaker idea if it ever came to that. Now, let's not worry about the future, and I would like the two teams to pair up with a partner... from the same team, obviously."

"Darn." Cursed Johnny.

"Mr. Squidward, we should team up!" Mr. Krabs offered.

The octopus shook his head. "Not in a MILLION years am I going to team up with the likes of you!"

"C'mon, just this once, we'd make a good team! The ol' manager and his employee duo." He insisted.

Squidward continued to shake his head. "No! I'd rather go with someone else."

"Someone else? Look around!" Mr. Krabs used his claw to point to the other team members.

Sonic had immediately paired with Little Mac due to the alliance. Little Mac would be the one blindfolded.

Captain Falcon and Wario decided to pair up since they had a very mediocre bond prior to the show. Captain Falcon would be the one blindfolded.

Johnny and Reigen teamed up, but only because it looked like Mr. Krabs and Squidward had already teamed up with one another, leaving the two to pair up as they had no choice. Johnny would be the one blindfolded.

"Awww..." Moaned Squidward. "Fine! Only because there's nobody left TO pair up with."

"That's the spirit!" Mr. Krabs cheered in response.

They later decided that Squidward would be the one blindfolded.

As for Laau Pama, they had a slightly longer process for pairing up.

"CHEF!" Papyrus bellowed. "HOW ABOUT ME AND YOU TEAM UP? TWO CHEFS WOULD MAKE AN UNSTOPPABLE DUO!"

"Hmm... to be honest, your voice would actually be useful if I was the one blindfolded, so why not?" Gordon nodded, holding his hand out.

"NYEH?" He raised an eyebrow. "A HIGH-FIVE?!"

"No, you doughnut, a handshake." He put his other hand over his face as Papyrus reached out and shook his hand. "As I said, it'd be a lot better if I was the one blindfolded since your voice is a lot clearer, and I don't think you're the type to properly follow my kind of instructions."

The skeleton and chef both paired up, as the others began pairing up a lot quicker.

"We need to strategize this a bit. We need the strong and fast ones to be the ones doing the actual challenge, whilst the weaker ones can do the instructions better." Wii Fit Trainer explained. "That way, we'll have the perfect pairs for the challenge! Papyrus and Gordon have already turned into a duo, too, so that makes things a bit easier."

"I've been following orders for most of my life, so being the one to give the orders would be a breath of fresh air." Geoffrey confessed. "But who should I pair up with?"

"Well, I trust you a lot since we've been teammates since day one and you haven't really done anything bad, so I'll pair up with you!" Josuke announced.

He gave a warm smile. "Good! I'm glad I'm paired with a trusted companion, and your so-called "Stand" would definitely be a useful component for completing one of these mini-challenges."

"Pssh, a king doesn't need to be up there blindfolded, makin' a fool of himself! A king is the one who gives orders." Dedede declared. "Now, who wants to work with me?"

"I won't mind, just please try and be as clear as possible." Wii Fit Trainer volunteered.

"Well, that-a just leaves us, Samus." Mario revealed. "If you-a want, I'll be the one blindfolded."

Samus gave a nod of approval. "That would likely work out well, just remember to listen out for my commands."

The plumber shot his thumbs up with a goofy grin. "That's-a fine by me!"

After every pair was made and their roles were made clear, Alexa made them wear blindfolds over their eyes, completely obscuring their vision for good.

**CHALLENGE A - Obstacle Course**

"This simple obstacle course has a wall to climb, a few tires to jump past, and a couple of monkey bars before a final run to the finish line!" Alexa explained. "Pick your pairs and let's get racing!"

Team New Laau Pama decided on Mario and Samus Aran to be the pair to participate in this first challenge. Meanwhile, Team New Haupia decided on Little Mac and Sonic.

Awkwardly, the blinded Little Mac and Mario hobbled over to the starting line with the help of their partners.

After lining up decently, Alexa began counting down. "This race begins in 3..."

"2..."

"1..."

"GO!" He yelled, causing both of them to sprint forward.

Little Mac was a lot faster than Mario in the first short running section towards the wall, although he was aware of Mario's jumping capabilities.

Samus and Sonic were waiting by the wall to give their first command.

"The wall's coming up, Mac!" The hedgehog yelled. "If you jump high enough you could grab the edge. I'll tell you when!"

...

"JUMP!" Sonic beckoned as the boxer leaped into the air gracefully, and grabbed onto the edge of the wall before quickly pulling himself up

"Watch your landing bud." Warned the hedgehog, as he plummeted onto the sand in front of the wall before continuing the race.

Mario had caught up at this point, and Samus simply said "Jump!" without any warning, causing the plumber to jump extra high in case he was too late.

Luckily, he had perfectly landed over the wall and continued running.

"Well done, the tires are up ahead." She warned. "There are six of them. Don't trip or it'll cost us the point."

"Okay!" Mario nodded as he was head-to-head with Little Mac.

"Incoming tires, Mac! I'll tell you when to jump!" Sonic exclaimed.

...

"JUMP!" He said.

Little Mac hopped over the first tire, whilst simply running past the second tire.

However, he heard Mario spring over in front of him and away.

His jumps were so impressive that he cleared two tires with one jump, with help from Samus's coordination.

He wouldn't let himself get distracted, however, and kept on listening for Sonic to tell him when to jump.

The boxer almost tripped twice, costing him a couple of seconds, but overall made it out without tripping properly.

Mario was now ahead, which caused Little Mac to run even faster over to the monkey bars.

This section would be incredibly difficult, as it required perfect coordination skills.

Well, it would have been if it weren't for Mario's challenge-breaking jumps, as he was told by Samus to hop on TOP of the monkey bars and run across it.

As Sonic began losing hope whilst also guiding Little Mac carefully through the obstacle, the plumber managed to catch one of his feet on the bars and fall down, costing him a lot of time as getting his balance back was a big pain.

By the time the plumber slowly maneuvered along the rest of the monkey bars and fell down, Little Mac had almost caught up to him, which was a big problem.

Mario decided to sprint as fast as he could to the finish line, as he remembered Alexa saying that there was a final stretch to the finish line.

Little Mac was also aware of this, and he was reminded by Sonic after he got through the monkey bars, and he slowly began catching up to Mario.

"This is going to be close!" Alexa commentated. "Mario is ahead but for how much longer?!"

"GO MAC!" Sonic cheered.

"You can do it!" Samus reassured.

Both of them were mere meters away from the finish line, and Little Mac was incredibly close to passing Mario.

In the end...

Mario managed to lunge forward and cross the line first, just barely yet obviously beating his opponent.

"Did I-a win?!" Mario questioned.

"Please be me..." Little Mac gulped. "I can't lose!"

"Sorry, Little Mac, but Mario barely wins, scoring New Laau Pama the first point of the challenge!" Alexa proclaimed, causing Little Mac to pout. "Mario and Little Mac may remove their blindfolds and exit this obstacle course!"

**CHALLENGE B - Break The Target!**

"This challenge requires aim and patience! There is a bow with a bunch of arrows next to it, the blindfolded survivor will pick up the bow and will shoot at the target. The first one to hit a target will win the challenge and receive the point." Alexa explained. "Pick your pairs, although the previous pairs are no longer able to participate for the rest of the overall challenge!"

New Laau Pama decided to pick Geoffrey Butler and Josuke Higashikata as their pair. New Haupia, on the other hand, picked Wario and Captain Falcon.

Like with the first challenge, both blindfolded contenders cluelessly wandered over to the bow and arrow after being guided by their partners. Josuke and Captain Falcon were the blindfolded ones.

As usual, Alexa began counting down. "3..."

"2..."

"1..."

"GO!"

"The bow's string is facing away from you, Josuke." Geoffrey notified. "Make sure to pick it up properly."

Josuke's hand moved onto the neck of the bow as he clutched it.

"You may want to move your hand down the bow a bit." He advised.

"It's harder than it looks!" Josuke admitted, gritting his teeth as he attempted to grab the bow properly.

"Can't you just use your stand?" Asked Geoffrey. "Or does it not work when blind."

"I can't see through my stand's perspective like that." He clarified. "So it doesn't matter what I do."

Unfortunately for him, Captain Falcon had already grabbed the bow and was wielding it decently, however, he had trouble inserting the arrow.

"WRONG-A WAY, IDIOT!" Wario scalded. "HOLD IT THE RIGHT-A WAY!"

"Damn it..." He groaned, frustrated at his unfamiliarity with a bow and arrow. "Good thing this kid is just as clueless with a bow as I am."

Eventually, Captain Falcon managed to get the bow straight and aimed it at the target.

"Higher..." Beckoned Wario. "NO! A little bit lower than-a that. When I say higher I don't-a mean point it to the sky you-a moron!"

"I was NOT." He argued before launching the arrow at the target.

Unfortunately for him, the arrow barely missed, as it was too far to the left.

"GET THE NEXT-A ARROW!" He scalded once more, even angrier.

His anger definitely wasn't helping with his partner, as some of it was beginning to rub off on Captain Falcon as he grew more and more impatient with the bow and arrow, to the point of accidentally dropping the bow and having to scramble to the floor to pick it up.

Meanwhile, Josuke finally got the bow and arrow partially correct, and the positioning was the final step.

"A bit higher and to the right some more. If we try and go for a bullseye then chances are, you missing that goal will still result in hitting the target anyway." Geoffrey described his strategy. "Now, just a tad bit more to the left, and let go, make sure you aren't pulling on those strings too hard or it may go south for us."

Whilst Captain Falcon scrambled for his second arrow, Josuke managed to fire the arrow, and...

It just barely hit the edge of the target.

"Congratulations, Mr. Higashikata, you just won us a point!" Geoffrey congratulated with a smile. "It was a short-lived experience, but giving the orders was rather thrilling!"

"We did it!?" Josuke removed his blindfold to see it for himself before gawking. "First try?"

Alexa began applauding. "Well done! Unfortunately for New Haupia, their lonely single point won't be getting a friend just yet, as New Laau Pama receives their first point!"

"WELL-A DONE, LOSER." Blamed Wario. "You just-a had to follow what I said!"

"Don't blame it all on me, tubsy! If you don't waste your breath on calling me an idiot then maybe we may have gotten to that second arrow quicker." Captain Falcon retaliated with a disgruntled look plastered on his face.

**CHALLENGE C - Shapes? I signed up for shapes?!**

"This challenge is quite easy! Each blindfolded contestant has six shapes over in a chest, and you have six holes for said shapes to fit into. The first one to insert all six shapes wins the next point!" Alexa explained.

"Wow, an adult shape sorter... definitely seems like you're running out of ideas." Squidward taunted.

"Don't mock my challenges or you'll be going home with nothing!" Alexa threatened. "...But you're right, nonetheless."

The pair that New Laau Pama chose was Gordon Ramsay and Papyrus. Whilst the pair that New Haupia chose was Squidward and Mr. Krabs.

"Mr. Squidward, it's our time to shine!" Mr. Krabs wrung his claws. "Oh, boy am I ready to guide ya!"

"You better guide me well, or I'm not going to be very happy with you!" Squidward threatened. "I won't be very happy either way, but my point still stands."

"Quit yer yappin' and get goin'!" He pestered.

Squidward and Gordon both entered the challenge area, similarly with awkward movements due to their blindfolds. Their guiders were awfully giddy to start the challenge and win a point for their team.

Alexa did his usual countdown. "3..."

"2..."

"1..."

"GO!"

"WALK TO THE CHEST!" Papyrus ordered.

"Where's the bloody chest?!" Gordon asked.

He cleared his throat. "IT'S... IT'S OVER THERE!"

"I HAVE A BLINDFOLD ON YOU DONKEY!" He hissed.

"OH... FORWARD!" Papyrus commanded.

By the time Gordon reached the chest, Squidward had already nabbed three of the six shapes and brought them over to where the holes were.

He managed to fill his hands with four shapes before waddling back.

On the way, he dropped one of the shapes, causing him to curse to himself as he deposited the rest of the shapes, moving back for the other one.

When he grabbed the lost shape and the other two remaining in the chest, Squidward chortled at the fact that he was still hearing Papyrus tell Gordon to bring the shapes back to the holes, as he knew that meant he was ahead.

"Err lemme take a closer look." Mr. Krabs leaned closer without entering the area. "Alright, the top left one appears to be a circle shape!"

"Circle..." Squidward used his tentacles to feel each shape, looking for the smooth circle.

Eventually, he found it and inserted it to where Mr. Krabs had ordered.

However, it didn't fit at all.

"Huh? Mr. Krabs, it's not fitting!" Squidward panicked. "What's wrong?!"

"Oh, MY top left, sorry!" He snickered with embarrassment. "Whoopsies. It's the bottom right one for you Mr. Squidward!"

He inserted it into the bottom right one and gave a sigh of relief.

Gordon, however, was catching up, as he had his shapes ready.

"Alright, so this is hole one, hole two, hole three, hole four, hole five, and hole six." He explained, feeling each of the six holes. "When I grab a shape, you tell me which number hole it is, got it?"

"RIGHT!" Papyrus nodded, sweating profusely.

"How is he sweating?" Reigen muttered under his breath. "He's a skeleton..."

Gordon held up a triangle shape.

"ERRR. FOUR?" Papyrus questioned.

He inserted it into the hole, and it fit perfectly.

"Well done, now this?" The chef held up the square and star shape at the same time.

"ERRM, THE SQUARE GOES IN HOLE SIX, AND THE POINTY THING GOES IN HOLE TWO!" Papyrus guided.

Gordon inserted them into their holes, and both of them were correct.

As they made great and quick progress, Mr. Krabs and Squidward began panicking.

"Mr. Krabs, they're gaining on us! Where does this shape go?!" Squidward held up a hexagon.

"Hmm, the top middle on Mr. Squidward!" Mr. Krabs ordered. "GO GO GO!"

He inserted it, but like with the circle shape, it didn't fit.

"Oh, MY top middle, so yer bottom middle!" Mr. Krabs corrected himself, giving an anxious smile.

"MR. KRABS!" Snapped Squidward, slamming the shape into the hole.

Before he could pick up the semi-circle, he heard Alexa cheer in the background.

"PAPYRUS AND GORDON WIN THE CHALLENGE!" He shrieked. "Be careful, New Haupia! It looks like New Laau Pama are one point ahead!"

"Ggggurgh!" Squidward whined. "Mr. Krabs, why couldn't you have been quicker?!"

"Hey! Don't go blamin' me over something insignificant like that. I bet we'll win this next challenge anyway." Mr. Krabs shrugged off his failure, causing Squidward to get even more annoyed.

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE SAFE!" He reminded, slapping his tentacle against his own face with disappointment. "If we lose this, I'm not going to forgive you so easily!"

**CHALLENGE D - Catch the Ball!**

"This final challenge will consist of one of my trusted bodyguards tossing a ball towards the blindfolded contestant, to which their partner will have to order them when to reach out and grab the ball. Three balls will be thrown at each of the two contestants, and whoever catches the most will win the final point! If a tie occurs, then they will be grouped right next to each other, and one more ball will be thrown. Whoever catches that ball will win the tie-breaker, and if they don't catch it, it will be thrown until they do. Good luck with this final challenge!"

The final pair on New Laau Pama, Wii Fit Trainer and King Dedede went up against the final pair on New Haupia, which consisted of Reigen and Johnny.

"I WONDER WHAT A TIE WOULD BRING..." Papyrus wondered to himself, in a semi-quiet manner.

"Please win this, New Laau Pama, I didn't think of a tie-breaker in case something like this happened... err, should I do rock paper scissors or something that requires more skill?!" - Alexa.

Johnny and Wii Fit Trainer both walked up, blindfolded yet feeling the intensity of the situation. If Johnny lost, his team would be up for elimination, whereas if Wii Fit Trainer lost, who knows what would happen!

"I gotta do this." Johnny repeated to himself. "Gotta impress the ladies watching this on TV. Bringin' it home is my greatest chance of safety!"

Two bodyguards had a red, rubber ball firmly grasped in their hands, and they looked incredibly sinister and intimidating. It was very fortunate that the two blindfolded contestants couldn't see their scarily stern faces.

"The bodyguards will throw the ball after I stop talking. It's only of when they do so..." Alexa revealed.

...

...

The bodyguards both throw the ball in synchronization, both of them hurled towards the blindfolded victims.

"CATCH IT!" Dedede barked.

"...NOW!" Reigen commanded.

Both of them held out their hands, Wii Fit Trainer caught it perfectly whilst it bounced off Johnny's large and landed between his adjacent and bulky arms.

"Did I catch it?!" Johnny asked.

"That counts!" Alexa gave a nod of approval, although Johnny obviously couldn't see it. "Wii Fit Trainer and Johnny both caught the first ball! This next throw will be faster, so stay on your toes!"

The bodyguards proceeded to pick up another ball, and they both got in position to aim.

This time Alexa stayed quiet, and he watched the guiders of the pair sweat intensely at the situation.

...

...

...

After fifteen long seconds passed, they threw the ball once more.

"GO GO GO!" Dedede screamed, even louder than before, and with more desperation in his voice.

"NOW!" Reigen repeated.

This time, Wii Fit Trainer managed to catch the ball, albeit barely. Johnny, on the other hand, had the ball bounce off of his hand once more, though it hopped straight over his head due to the extra force and speed.

"Ouch! Wii Fit Trainer catches the second ball, whilst Johnny, unfortunately, misses it." Alexa said with a small smug smirk on his face. "The final ball is now going to be thrown! It will be even FASTER, and it is slightly smaller than the first two, which may prove useful or useless depending on your strategy of grabbing!"

Once more, the two pairs readied themselves for this final ball, which could very well determine the whole challenge.

The guards also readied themselves, but their posture was a lot more aggressive than it was on the first two throws, meaning that they were also aware of the stakes.

"C'MON, YOU CAN-A DO IT!" Wario cheered. "IF YOU-A LOSE THIS I'LL CRUSH YOU!"

"Oh jeez..." Johnny gulped upon hearing the threat. "A guy that size would break my spine if he sat on me! I can't lose this."

Right after readying themselves, the guards unexpectedly threw the balls.

"THEBAAAAAALLLL!" Dedede choked on his words, pointing at the ball.

"N-NOW!" Reigen stuttered, shocked at how quickly it came out.

Wii Fit Trainer simply couldn't react in time, and the ball collided with her stomach, causing her to keel over slightly in pain.

As for Johnny, he held his hands out a split-second too late, as they instead punched the ball. The ball flew at an incredible speed before striking the guard that had thrown the ball on the head, causing him to get knocked down instantly.

Silence struck the beach.

"Well, I'll be damned!" Alexa applauded. "You just made him unconscious!"

"Is that a win?" Johnny somehow expected the host to reply with a positive answer.

Instead, he just groaned. "No, it's not. Anyway, Wii Fit Trainer had the most balls caught with two! Johnny only managed to catch one, making New Laau Pama thankfully win the entire challenge, no tie..."

"Thankfully?" Sonic picked up on his words. "Please explain."

"Err, well, it's a tiring and sunny day! Who would want to spend another long while out here because of a tie?!" Alexa nervously chuckled to himself. "Stop asking questions, please."

The hedgehog nodded, although he was slightly suspicious over the host.

"Did that guy really plan everything through?" He uttered under his breath.

"Now! New Laau Pama, you have won the challenge for yourselves, so give a pat on the back! I see that you all warmed up to your new teammates judging by your overall great coordination skills, and you deserve every lick of that immunity. I also wish to give you all a little prize!" Alexa showed them a pile of important photos. "Here are some memoirs of your closest ally, found through some research! Hopefully, they shall cure your loneliness and boost your motivation."

As he handed them out, the New Laau Pama members looked at the memoirs.

Mario received a picture of his brother Luigi.

Papyrus received also received a picture of his brother, Sans.

Samus didn't have a close ally like the others, and thus received an image of her cherished suit.

Josuke received a picture of his best friend, Okuyasu Nijimura.

Wii Fit Trainer, funnily enough, received a picture of the Wii Balance Board.

Geoffrey Butler received an image of his employer, Philip Banks. He simply shakes his head and repeats "research" to himself, sarcastically.

Gordon Ramsay received an image of his loving wife, Tana Ramsay.

Finally, King Dedede received an image of his good friend yet annoying former rival, Kirby.

Most of them were rather happy with the memoirs they received, and Alexa couldn't help but feel a bit warm upon giving out the wholesome images of friends or family to the contestants.

"Now, New Laau Pama may leave with their memoirs! As for you, New Haupia..." Alexa shook his head. "You guys weren't too hot throughout this challenge! You were so close yet so far on many of the challenges, and that is why you must vote somebody out this Tribal Council, although Captain Falcon will have immunity for this council only due to the prize he won last challenge! Good luck."

New Haupia, a team consisted of enemies uniting, had unfortunately made a bad first impression. They bitterly walked back to their tribe, all of them wondering who they should vote off.

* * *

**New Haupia: Day 10**

Survivors: Johnny Bravo - Mr. Krabs - Captain Falcon - Wario - Squidward Tentacles - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen - Sonic

Upon losing their first challenge, all eight members of New Haupia instantly headed back to their tribe and sat down, all about to discuss who to eliminate.

Some people, such as Little Mac, had a bright idea of who to vote for. Whilst others, such as Reigen, were much more clueless about who they should be voting for.

"So, I think we should get a good idea of who to vote off based on how well people did on the challenges." Sonic admitted. "And I want to put Wario and Mr. Krabs in the spotlight, this time."

"WAH?!" Wario yawped with disbelief.

"What the, WHY ME?!" Mr. Krabs exclaimed with anger. "Don't go votin' me off instead of that blubbery n' dangerous manipulator!"

"Dangerous?! Because some-a idiot took what I said the wrong-a way?!" Wario scowled.

Sonic shrugged. "Well, excluding what happened then, Wario did nothing but throw insults at Captain Falcon, which likely caused both of them to lose track and lose that point!"

"True, I got too frustrated to properly grab the bow, and those insults were NOT helping there bud." He agreed.

"As for Mr. Krabs, he kept on screwing up the puzzle and brushing it off like it was nothing!" He further complained. "Wario took things too seriously, and Mr. Krabs took things too lightly. We would've won if it wasn't for them!"

Little Mac nodded at him. "Yeah, I feel like we should both decide on those guys."

"What about Johnny? That lad nearly killed a bodyguard!" Mr. Krabs pointed out. "That's a bit more serious than me gettin' something wrong twice, right?!"

"Say-what-now?" Johnny asked, suddenly tuning into the conversation upon hearing his name. "Nobody is votin' me, right?"

"Hmm, you have a point." Sonic nodded. "Let's settle things with a vote, here and now!"

Reigen simply tilted his head at the announcement. "That's what Tribal Councils are for, right?"

"Well, who cares about that stuff?" Sonic shrugged. "If we have a vote right here, then everyone else can go there without any suspense. Hands up for Johnny!"

Mr. Krabs raised his claw up to the air, growing nervous when he realized that he was the only one.

"Hands up for Krabs!"

Wario, Squidward, and Johnny raised their hands.

"Ain't nobody votin' for me and getting away with it." Johnny glared at him.

"Oh, Neptune..." Mr. Krabs gulped.

"Hands up for Wario!"

Little Mac, Sonic, and Captain Falcon raised their hands.

Reigen was the only indecisive one at that moment.

"Well, it seems to be a tie between Wario and Mr. Krabs." Little Mac stated. "Reigen hasn't voted, and I guess if Mr. Krabs changed his vote to Wario since that's his best shot, it's all down to Reigen on whether it's a tie or not."

They looked at the so-called "Psychic", who was twiddling his own thumbs since his question got answered, and he turned slightly flustered.

"W-what are you looking at me for?!" He asked, mildly offended. "I don't know who to vote. I know nothing about Mr. Krabs or Wario!"

"Allow me to educate you on ol' Wario then, if that kid with the mittens ain't gonna bother." Mr. Krabs snickered to himself. "You'll come to my side once you hear what Wario did!"

Wario exactly knew what was coming, and he also knew that it was the fuel for Little Mac and Sonic's vote towards him.

"You see, that menace manipulated some lad into beating me up and injurin' me!" Mr. Krabs claimed, acting slightly more dramatic to make Wario's crime look worse. "That idiot almost got the guy he manipulated AND me eliminated due to this whole fiasco, and he also nearly got the kid with weird psychic powers eliminated, too! Sonic and Mac will back me up, right?"

Little Mac nodded. "You're mostly right, but you wouldn't have gotten eliminated due to your injuries, Josuke has healing powers."

"Healing powers?!" Reigen queried out loud. "That sounds more interesting than whatever you guys are talking about."

"So, are ye going to vote off the guy who caused this tribe stress?" Mr. Krabs put his claws together, praying. "Please don't pick me!"

Wario shook his head. "That's-a not what happened! That Soldier idiot took things the wrong way, and that's the truth..."

"Everybody is-a still mad at me over that one night. I knew that winning would-a get much harder from the moment Soldier picked up Mr. Krabs and threatened to beat him to-a pulp! It would've been a sight to see, but it's made me a target!" - Wario.

He simply chuckled. "Look, I'm going to be straight with you guys so you get the message through: I don't care about that at all!"

"WHAAA?!" Mr. Krabs bellowed.

"It's pretty obvious as to why I don't care about it. I'm not a part of your old team, so Wario almost getting three different people eliminated in one night would have been beneficial to me. Sure it sucks that he manipulated somebody, but he was using a fool to his advantage, from the sounds of it, and you were just the target he used to get that Soldier guy eliminated. Do you really think he had faith in someone like him? If you think about it a bit more, he just did it to get the guy eliminated, and he probably just used you because you were his second target or whatever." Reigen provided a logical explanation. "In conclusion, I don't view either of you guys anymore or less following that."

Sonic turned to Little Mac. "He... has a point."

"Who knew that Wario's malicious intentions could be made slightly better through a speech. I don't trust him regardless though, who makes someone beat up another just so they can get eliminated? That's like, totally immoral, and I think our team would do better without a loud-mouth anyway. I'm pretty vocal, but Wario brings it to a whole new level!" - Sonic.

"I guess he does have a point..." He pouted. "But I'm still not happy with Wario, he's just an overall unpleasant person..."

"And? So's Mr. Krabs. Just hearing that guy play victim is starting to drive me nuts!" Confessed Squidward. "If I told you my salary, even a guy like you would probably hate him!"

Reigen's color drained from his face. "Not like it can get much worse than the salary I give to Mob..." He uttered to himself.

"Looks like we're relying on this guy to know whether Wario goes home or if it's a tie." Johnny repeated.

"We already know that! I wish he'd just make his mind up, this is boring me..." Squidward murmured with dissatisfaction.

In response to his impatience, Reigen gave yet another shrug. "I'm sorry, but things like this will definitely determine the future. I'm going to go take a bit of a walk to try and make my mind up."

"Sheesh, who knew that a way to win one million dollars would be so grueling when it comes to choosing who to eliminate. Let's see... Mr. Krabs seems a bit less immature, but overall weaker when it doesn't come to challenges involving grip. Wario is stronger and more valuable to the team, but he can be really loud and annoying. I think I have a small idea of who to vote." - Arataka Reigen.

Reigen stood up and took off, leaving the rest of the survivors to discuss for themselves.

"This doesn't-a matter anyway." Wario muttered to himself, rolling his eyes.

Squidward folded his arms. "If the tie turns out to be a bad thing for me, then I'm not going to be happy with any of you! Can't any of you just switch over to Mr. Krabs to make things easier?"

"Mr. Squidward! I've ignored yer slander for a while now, yet I'm startin' to get annoyed over you votin' against me! You don't want a pay cut do ya?!" The crab threatened.

"Oh great, now I'm going to earn negative amounts of money from my salary..." Squidward sardonically grumbled under his breath.

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 10**

This was the third Tribal Council that every person in New Haupia had experienced. Whilst they had certainly got to the mood, they definitely would never get rid of the feeling of dread that kicks in when they enter the area.

The torches were rearranged due to the new teams, and so they sat down in their new seats, awaiting Alexa to begin questioning them.

"Welcome to your third time here, fellas! I hope you're used to it by now, although I also hope not, because that would mean you've been here enough to not care as much as you used to!" Alexa winked. "Anyway, Johnny, how is this new team for you?"

"Well, they seem pretty alright. We got a crab, some fat guy, a boxer, AND a fast blue... hedgehog was it? I think I remembered right." He answered. "Though these people will never have the looks that some of my old members used to have, that's for sure."

"Sheesh, thanks." Little Mac sarcastically commented.

Alexa nodded. "So, you're overall content with this shuffle?"

"I guess you could say that." Johnny gave a thumbs up. "Everything is fine, I think."

"Ah, well I'm assuming you would feel rather similar, Squidward?" Alexa raised his eyebrow.

"Nope." The octopus shook his head. "Not a bit! First impressions consisted of nothing but drama and a lost challenge, so I'd rather go back to my old tribe."

He pouted. "Aww, man. Well, we both know that's not happening anytime soon. However, maybe things will be a bit better if you voted somebody off. Do you think that would make the team better, Sonic? Or would you rather keep the members you have?"

The hedgehog gave a mixed expression. "Well I don't want to be here, like at all, but I also don't want to have some people here stay on my team. Some are loud and rude, and that's no good for this team! Scumminess DOES rub off on everybody else, so I'm hoping to get the biggest offender of that off the tribe."

Wario rolled his eyes at the pretentious response as Alexa nodded.

"Now, that's enough questions. It's time to get down to the votes! I've never seen ex-Haupia members look so nervous before, so it looks like Laau Pama's dramatic ways are beginning to rub off on you guys." Alexa smirked.

Wario: Time to teach that-a old coot that you can't mess with-a Wario! With my-a secret weapon, I'll never be eliminated! WAHAHAHAHA! (Mr. Krabs)

Mr. Krabs: Aye, this rivalry will finally be resolved! I'll make sure to get revenge on you ya barnacle-head! (Wario)

Squidward Tentacles: This may be the closest opportunity I'll ever get to voting off Krabs! If I do that, then there won't be any more big, annoying, greedy red obstacles in my way! (Mr. Krabs)

Little Mac: You're loud, you're annoying, and you stink! Go home and take a shower, because I don't want to go to sleep smelling a hint of garlic tonight. (Wario)

Arataka Reigen: I've decided who I'm going to vote for. This will be a bit of a gamble either way, but I am more than willing to take a risk in this game. (?)

"Survivors, would any of you like to use your idols before the votes are read out?" Alexa questioned

...

...

...

"YES!" Wario revealed, grabbing the wooden sword from his pocket. "Sorry Krabs, but Wario isn't getting voted off at all! WAAHAHAHAHA!"

Mr. Krabs had his eyes pop out as he gasped in horror. "YOU HAVE AN IDOL!?"

"Hey, that looks like the Idol of Attacking!" Little Mac observed.

"Brilliant..." Squidward grinned.

The short and stocky man stood up and hobbled over to Alexa, handing him the idol.

"Wario's votes have now been tripled! Meaning that he gets three votes towards the person he voted instead of one." Alexa declared.

* * *

***VOTING TIME***

First vote goes to Mr. Krabs.

Second vote goes to Mr. Krabs. Two votes Mr. Krabs. (Mr. Krabs covers his eyes with his claws dramatically.)

Third vote goes to Wario. One vote Wario, two votes Mr. Krabs.

Fourth vote goes to Mr. Krabs. Three votes Mr. Krabs, one vote Wario.

Fifth vote goes to Wario. Two votes Wario, three votes Mr. Krabs.

Sixth vote goes to Mr. Krabs. That's four votes Mr. Krabs, two votes Wario. (He begins crying dramatically at his loss. "PLEAAASE! NOT ME!"

Seventh vote goes to Wario. Three votes Wario, four votes Mr. Krabs. (Wario simply grins through the votes he receives, as he knows that Mr. Krabs will be eliminated.)

Eighth vote goes to Wario. That's four votes Wario and Mr. Krabs.

Ninth vote goes to Mr. Krabs. Five votes Mr. Krabs, four votes Wario.

"And the fifth one leaving Survivor is going to be..." Alexa paused as usual.

"SPARE ME!" Spouted Mr. Krabs.

...

"Nobody?" Alexa revealed. "Mr. Krabs and Wario have both received five votes. Meaning that a tie has happened."

"YES!" He cheered. "Wait, what does that mean, boy?"

The host grinned. "Another vote will have to take place between Mr. Krabs and Wario, meaning that neither of them can vote! You have a minute to discuss who to eliminate. Wario's triple vote will not count here, and no further idols may be played."

This reveal made the tables turn, as Wario's face dropped. Reigen had voted for him, which meant that he was going to be the one going home.

"This is obvious, let's vote Mr. Krabs!" Squidward beckoned. "Do it, who knows what will happen if we tie again!"

"Hmm... it looks like if we leave things how they are now, then Wario will be eliminated." Reigen rubbed his chin. "Looks like things are going one-sided for him."

"WAAAAAH!" Wario cried. "NOT-A ME!"

Sonic folded his arms. "Well, I'm still voting Wario!"

"Same here." Little Mac gave a nod. "I'm not risking a second tie, Alexa will probably eliminate everyone on this team for being so indecisive!"

The curiosity of what would happen if another tie happened seemed to overwhelm Reigen a little bit, which managed to make him slightly more flummoxed on who to vote for.

After the short minute had passed, Alexa clapped his hands twice. "That's a wrap! All survivors will now vote once more, and I will collect the votes and see who's eliminated. No flashy vote reading or comments, this will be a purely suspenseful second vote."

One by one, each survivor cast their vote, almost all of them were the same...

When Alexa received the votes, he collected them all, looked at the survivors, and raised an eyebrow.

"Well well well." He chuckled. "Four votes to Mr. Krabs! Four votes to Wario! A second tie."

The intensity of the situation could only grow more and more as he gave a sadistic grin.

"Don't worry! No third vote will be taken place. However, there's something I want you all to do." Alexa pointed to the stumps they were sitting on. "Those stumps have a small hole on the back of them, within those stumps are stones. Five of those stones are blue, whilst one of them is red. The blue stone represents safety, and if you have a blue stone, you have nothing to worry about. However, if you receive a red stone, then you WILL be eliminated from Survivor. Mr. Krabs and Wario have tied, and thus they will not pick a stone."

"WHAT?!" Squidward gasped.

"What if one of those two has a white rock?" Sonic asked.

Alexa simply shrugged. "They won't... trust me, me and my bodyguards have our ways! Now, every survivor aside from the two tied individuals may pick a rock."

Mr. Krabs and Wario watched as their comrades nervously reached for the stone within their stump.

Johnny Bravo received a blue stone.

Captain Falcon received a blue stone.

Squidward received a blue stone.

Little Mac received a blue stone.

Arataka Reigen received a blue stone.

Sonic received the white stone...

"W-what?!" The hedgehog gasped. "No way! I'm-"

"Eliminated? Yes." Alexa interrupted. "I'm sorry Sonic, but your tribe's overall indecisiveness has spoken. Please hand me your torch, your time in Survivor is done."

He gave up trying to argue, and grabbed his torch, zipping over to Alexa.

"I didn't even get any time to shine in the challenges, and now I'm eliminated just like that?!" Sonic groaned. "This sucks."

Alexa nodded, snuffing his torch. "It really does. Please say any last words and leave Survivor Tropics."

"Well, I didn't expect to go out like this! I believe in you guys though." Sonic admitted. "Especially you, Little Mac! I bet you can win this if you're lucky and strong enough, I know you can! Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to make sure Eggman isn't plotting his evil revenge on Alexa for eliminating him."

Little Mac had frozen. In one second, he had lost his alliance member to a borderline unfair twist, and he watched in the blink of an eye as the hedgehog disappeared and ran down the walkway to leave the show.

He took Sonic's compliments to heart, and he vowed to try his absolute hardest to win the competition.

Everyone else was also incredibly shocked at the situation, they had lost an incredible asset to their team due to their lack of cooperation just like that.

"Sonic was an incredibly good survivor. However, due to his team's own failure to work together to vote somebody off, as well as Lady Luck herself, Sonic got booted off SHOCKINGLY early! He was also the first elimination since the two tribes had merged into one. That's five down, and many, MANY more to go. Good night survivors, and let this be a lesson." Alexa waved.

* * *

Sonic's Last Words: "I'm still pretty bummed over losing! Though I had fun and I made some cool friends, I hope Little Mac, Josuke, and Papyrus can pull through! I wouldn't mind if Geoffrey won the competition either. Anyway, it was great being here!"

* * *

**VOTES**

Wario's voters: Mr. Krabs, Little Mac, Captain Falcon, Sonic, Arataka Reigen.

Mr. Krabs' voters: Wario, Wario, Wario, Squidward Tentacles, Johnny Bravo.

**VOTES (Vote 2)**

Wario's voters: Mr. Krabs, Little Mac, Captain Falcon, Sonic.

Mr. Krabs' voters: Wario, Squdiward Tentacles, Johnny Bravo, Arataka Reigen.

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Wario. (USED)

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon. (USED)

Idol of Mirroring - Geoffrey Butler.

Idol of ? - Unknown

The ? Idol - Unknown

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

New Laau Pama (Green Team)

\- Mario

\- Papyrus

\- Samus Aran

\- Josuke Higashikata

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Geoffrey Butler

\- Gordon Ramsay

\- King Dedede

New Haupia (White Team)

\- Johnny Bravo

\- Mr. Krabs

\- Captain Falcon

\- Wario

\- Squidward Tentacles

\- Little Mac

\- Arataka Reigen


	9. Episode 6 - Imma Clobba Dat Boulder!

Episode 6: Imma Clobba Dat Boulder!

**New Laau Pama: Day 11**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Josuke Higashikata - Wii Fit Trainer - Geoffrey Butler - Gordon Ramsay - King Dedede

Laau Pama was halfway through the day, still celebrating the fact that they managed to survive the past ten full days without elimination. Sure, they were far from winning, but it was an achievement that was definitely worth celebrating. King Dedede was especially proud of the milestone, even though he had full confidence that he would win the whole competition.

"Here's to anotha' ten days without elimination!" Dedede cheered. "Things are always so peaceful when we win!"

"That's because we aren't tearing this tribe in half with an elimination." Josuke admitted. "We got lucky with our two eliminations back in the old Haupia tribe. Both picks for who to eliminate were incredibly easy, and they went pretty smoothly considering that Grunty and Soldier were threats to the team. I wonder how those guys are handling Tribal Council now..."

Mario shook his head. "Ah, I-a wish things went a bit better for my old tribe's votes. We had a very close-a vote with Eggman, and a bunch of people blindsided Peter in our second Tribal Council!"

"Sheesh, sounds rough." The teenager admitted. "Well, this game seems a lot saner without the four people who were eliminated. I wonder who went out tonight though..."

"Knowing how things usually go down, it's a guarantee that my two alliance members, Little Mac and Sonic, are safe. I bet Wario's finally the one who got eliminated, but with four new people being added to that tribe whilst another four were swapped to this tribe, who knows?!" - Josuke Higashikata.

King Dedede laughed at his curiosity. "C'mon kid, it's obviously Wario after what he did!"

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking." He nodded. "I hope so, at least."

Samus raised her eyebrow at Dedede's statement. "What did he do?"

"He probably acted like himself." Stated Mario.

Geoffrey groaned at the mention of it. "Oh, well, if you insist then I'll tell you. Wario convinced Soldier to attack Mr. Krabs for whatever reason, though I bet it was to try and get Mr. Krabs eliminated. His plan backfired when the helmeted fool accidentally implied to everyone that Wario was responsible for the ruckus he had caused. Just a normal day for me, but it definitely seemed like a drama-filled fiasco for the entire team."

Josuke groaned. "Soldier almost got me eliminated by insulting my haircut. Not sure if healing him back after pounding him to a pulp would have helped my case."

"It was a close call." He said with a head-shake. "I'm glad I'm away from some of the more aggravating members on Haupia. Wario and Eugene Krabs were quite annoying, and they probably got worse following what happened back then. I'm glad I managed to escape from it all!"

"Well, it seems like we've all had a stressful beginning. I've been regularly exercising to take my mind off of some of the stuff, but the prize may just be worth some of the suffering." Wii Fit Trainer reckoned. "If only Alexa got me a memoir of something that actually mattered to me. I like the balance board but it's not like it's family to me."

Geoffrey nodded, agreeing with her claim. "That is true. He says he put in a lot of research to discover this, but if that was the case, I'd receive a memoir of my son to keep me going as opposed to my employer!"

"You got your employer?!" Gordon spat, outraged. "That's ridiculous! As if anyone working in my restaurants would appreciate a memoir of me to motivate them, and I certainly wouldn't appreciate a memoir of my old boss myself!"

"THAT SOUNDS INCREDIBLY INDECENT!" Papyrus stomped his feet. "THOUGH, I'M STILL RATHER FLUMMOXED ON HOW THINGS SUCH AS HUMAN WORK GOES."

"No no, it's fine. I never knew my son for most of my life, and it was rather difficult to find any information on him in hindsight. Maybe I should be glad that they didn't research into my personal life much." Geoffrey questioned himself. "Ah forget it! It reminds me of being away from the Banks family at last, this will be the closest to a break I'll be having for a good while."

Samus gave a nonchalant smirk. "Well, I just got a picture of my power suit, so not everybody got good memoirs. Not like they had much to pull from for me."

"Well, this conversation is starting to make me a bit more grateful for having tons of friends and family to have memoirs of." Confessed Josuke, giving an awkward smile. "I got my best friend Okuyasu as my memoir."

"HUMAN! ALLOW ME TO QUESTION YOU ON SOMETHING: DOES YOUR FRIEND ALSO HAVE YOUR STRANGE HEALING ABILITY?!" Papyrus interrogated.

He shook his head. "No, nothing like mine."

"AH, THOUGHT S-... WAIT, NOTHING LIKE YOURS?" The skeleton recoiled with shock. "YOU MEAN HE TOO HAS A POWER, BUT IT'S DIFFERENT FROM YOURS?!"

"Yeah! His Stand allows him to scrape away anything: the space between people, regular objects, some of the ground, and even living things, too." Josuke described. "I also got a friend with a stand that makes people super heavy just by punching it, a guy that can turn you into a manga thingy and writes rules into you, and one of my relatives has a stand that has incredible punching power and speed."

At this point, Papyrus had froze at the descriptions, they sounded absolutely terrifying to him. "AHEM... WHAT ARE THEIR WHEREABOUTS?"

"In a town named Morioh, all the way in Japan." He answered.

"PHEW..." He brushed the sweat off of his forehead and posed. "THE GREAT PAPYRUS WAS NEVER THREATENED BY THOSE FRIENDS OF YOURS, BUT HE'S GLAD THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE TO COME UP AGAINST SUCH A MENACING FOE!"

"Papyrus seems-a like a big oddball. He is loud and-a obnoxious at times, but he-a seems quite quirky, and I really don't-a see him betraying me or anyone else anytime soon. Not only does he seem a bit naive for-a that, but he's a bit too incompetent to pull it-a off anyway! The biggest threat he can-a pose is being manipulated by Samus..." - Mario.

Wii Fit Trainer was incredibly interested in Josuke's talks about his friends and their abilities. "That sounds pretty cool! How did you get your stand?"

"I've had it for a long time, but I'm not really sure what caused it. It seemed to show up after an illness I had a while back, but I dunno if that's related. Everybody else I know got their Stand from a weird arrow stabbing them." Josuke explained. "I try not to question it too much."

"Is it possible for anyone to get a Stand?" Gordon questioned.

He shook his head. "Probably not, and I advise you don't pursue that sorta thing, either."

"Best if I take your word for it, then." He shrugged before standing up and stretching. "It's time to make us food again. I'm starving."

"Same here!" Wii Fit Trainer nodded.

"And-a me!" Mario added.

Dedede licked his lips. "I dunno how such a boring human can make plain ol' rice taste bearable, but you manage to do it! Heck, call me crazy, but I'm almost looking forward to eating the rice for once, and that's something I only reserve for the amazing food of Dreamland!"

"MY FOOD WAS ALSO GOOD!" Papyrus chimed in.

"Ahem, no it was NOT!" He shook his head intensely. "There is no way I'm gonna let you cook over that chef!"

Suddenly, the monster stood up and pointed to Gordon. "YOU THERE, CHEF!"

"Huh?" Gordon turned his head, the clay pot in his hand. "What's wrong now? Let me cook for God's sake."

"TEACH ME YOUR WAYS" Papyrus begged. "I MUST KNOW HOW YOU CREATE SUCH DELICIOUS FOOD, IT'S VITAL THAT I LEARN YOUR SECRETS."

"Oh boy..." He couldn't help but crack a smile. "Sure, I'll go over my process and you can take some mental notes. I won't repeat it again, mind you."

"I AM ALL EARS!" He proclaimed.

Mario scratched his head. "But you-a have no ears!"

"IT'S AN EXPRESSION I HAVE LEARNED SINCE I ESCAPED THE MOODY UNDERGROUND. PLEASE DO NOT CONFUSE ME WITH YOUR LANGUAGE EVEN MORE!" Papyrus pleaded.

Gordon began cooking the rice as Papyrus awkwardly observed, pressing his eyes unpleasantly close to where Gordon was cooking.

"So your first step to perfecting rice after getting that roaring fire is the texture." He revealed. "You have to cook it until it's soft or slightly hard, also known as al dente."

"BUT HOW DO YOU CHECK THE PROGRESSION?!" Papyrus questioned with anger. "THAT IS THE PART EVERYBODY WHO CRITICIZES MY COOKING FORGETS!"

He simply grabbed a leaf and beckoned for him to watch. "Grab a leaf, curl it so that it looks a little bit like a boat, and scoop up some of the rice from the water."

"GETTING YOUR SALIVA IN THE DISH WOULD TAINT THE FLAVOR, OR AT LEAST THE HYGIENE!" The skeleton argued.

"Are you mad?" Gordon raised his eyebrow. "It's not like you're going to put the leaf back in once you've used it to scoop up the rice for you to taste. I mean obviously you wouldn't know, you can't even eat you muppet!"

"WELL, I CAN, IT JUST... DOESN'T WORK OUT VERY WELL." Papyrus sighed with shame. "HOWEVER, YOU HAVE CONVINCED ME ON HOW TO CHECK IF THE RICE IS SOFT! WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO?"

Gordon then shook the clay pot sporadically. "If you shake it, it will make sure the rice cooks properly, think of it like a snow globe."

"HMM, I'VE SEEN A FEW SNOW GLOBES." He admitted.

Wii Fit Trainer smiled warmly at the interaction they were having. Sure, Gordon was quite annoyed with Papyrus, but their overall reaction was nice to see, as both of them had rather poor starts. Papyrus was constantly berated for his cooking whilst Gordon was forced into a constant state of danger. Now Papyrus was proudly learning, and Gordon was proudly cooking.

After having lunch, the rest of their day was rather void of events. They were completely safe, after all, so they had no reason to be involved with any drama.

However, toward the end of the sunny day, Dedede decided to go looking for idols before it struck dark.

Though he found no idols throughout his long expedition to find an advantage, he did find something of note: a note!

The note was incredibly odd, as at first glance, it was structured incredibly weird.

".mih llet tsum uoy "!gnilaetS fo lodI eht em eviG" .hcaorppa tsum uoy ,axelA"

"The heck is this gibberish?!" Dedede analyzed it. "It doesn't say anythin' important! Maybe it's some sort of clue, but this is too vague for anyone to figure out. It's best if I hold onto it and get someone to decipher it for me! I'll just have to make sure they don't get it for themselves..."

* * *

**New Haupia: Day 11**

Survivors: Johnny Bravo - Mr. Krabs - Captain Falcon - Wario - Squidward Tentacles - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen

Everybody had time to recollect and catch up with the incredible events that happened last night, yet they were still beyond baffled and had several questions. Who changed their vote to make it tie twice in a row? Why was the second tie-breaker a stupid luck-based draw? Why did it have to be a very valuable team asset such as Sonic? These questions wanted to be answered by most people on the team.

The one who was indirectly responsible for Sonic's sudden demise was Reigen, who never planned on telling anyone about what he did, as it could impact his game. He realized that his prediction was right, however. That prediction being that something worse would come out of trying to eliminate Wario, as something worse DID happen.

Mr. Krabs and Wario were incredibly relieved over the events, as it spared them of elimination. They had no idea who switched that vote, but Wario almost wanted to thank them for saving his skin. Though they were also mad that they still had to deal with each other, as their hatred did not decline one single bit.

Little Mac was definitely a lot more miserable that day, he had lost his only alliance partner left on the team, and he had to rely on himself and his other two members on making it through, hopefully to some sort of team merge. The game couldn't have teams until there were only three or two people left, that would be incredibly bizarre. He knew Alexa had a plan for when the cast shrunk to a certain amount, but the question was "when?". He definitely didn't expect to be hoping for something like that so early into the team scramble, that's for sure.

The only person who wasn't present at the tribe was Captain Falcon, who went off for unknown reasons.

"I still can't believe we lost Sonic of all people!" Reigen confessed. "It's just hard to wrap my head around, I had no idea that two draws would do that."

"Well, it's obvious that SOMEONE had curiosity strong enough to switch that vote." Little Mac grumbled, sounding slightly intimidating with his anger. "I don't know who did it, but I'm not going to be very happy with them if I found out."

Reigen went pale at the sound of his bitter voice. "Y-yeah, must be some prankster to play around with the game like that."

"They put us ALL at danger, not just that hedgehog!" Said Squidward. "Everybody but the two we wanted to get rid of the most. At least it means that more people are planning on getting rid of Krabs than ever!"

He shrugged. "I don't care who goes off at this point, Reigen was right, what Wario did was just a clever move, though I'm still not trusting him. I'm just going to vote off the next person based on everyone else, that or their overall performance of next challenge."

"Agreed, this drama is givin' me a headache!" Mr. Krabs admitted. "I'm glad I didn't end up going home, but I'm upset that we lost that fast lad."

"Well if you just-a voted Mr. Krabs the none of this would of-a happened!" Wario scowled. "It's alright, we'll still win this-a challenge without the stupid blue hamster on our side anyway. As long as we have-a MY muscles! I bet next challenge will be exactly up my alley."

"Ahem, you can't be talking about muscles and skip over me." Johnny flexed. "Just look at these biceps, these are enough to lift all of you... aside from you." He pointed over to Wario.

"WAH?! ARE YOU-A CALLING ME FAT!" Wario growled. "This is-a PURE muscle, at LEAST 99.99999%. I'm-a sick of everyone saying otherwise!"

He raised his eyebrow in response. "Muscle? You look like the definition of not-muscle."

Mr. Krabs snickered. "Ya call that flab muscle? I got shell that's on par with diamonds, buddy!"

"Pssh, I could break that just by-a sneezing on it, LOSER." He taunted.

"Can't we just agree that you're pretty equal when it comes to challenges? You either all suck at them or you're all good at them." Reigen explained.

"NO!" Wario, Johnny, and Mr. Krabs all declined at the same time.

Squidward put a tentacle on Reigen's shoulder, slowly shaking his head. "Don't bother, it's not worth the hassle."

"I guess you're right." He gave a grin. "After all, they may have strength, but I have proven the fact that I'm psychic."

"Oh, yea... the lad DID predict that something worse would come out of the Wario fiasco." Mr. Krabs admitted. "And it turns out that I was dragged along with him, AND we lost someone who was helpful!"

Johnny dashed over to Reigen and began asking him question after question. "Will I win this competition? Will all the chicks fall for Johnny after I win? What does my one-true-love look like? Please tell me she's a blonde tall hourglass with a spicy liking to my body."

"No, no, and you're one-true-love will be your mother, but in a family way, not a romantic way... thankfully." Reigen threw together a lie to appease the brooding man.

And as a response, he shrugged. "Well, you never said that 99.99% of chicks won't fall for me, and my mama has priority over any woman, so I'd say you're probably right!"

"Wow... that worked?" He uttered under his breath before speaking up. "Yep!"

"Oh please, he just cobbled together a borderline insult to you and you're going to see it as the truth?" Squidward groaned. "I swear, some of you people have skulls thicker than Patrick's house!"

"Aye, I've seen Patrick's house, and that rock is pretty thick." Mr. Krabs added.

"I didn't ASK YOU!" The sea creature snapped. "Anyway, you're an idiot Johnny."

Johnny posed once more. "Oh yeah? Can an idiot do this?"

He did a karate move, similar to what he did a few days ago, although he ended up indirectly kicking a tree by accident and hurting his foot. "OW, MY FOOT! HELP ME, MAMA, MY FOOT MIGHT BE BROKEN!"

"Yeah... definitely an idiot." Squidward sighed. "Can we get someone that isn't a complete idiot on this team?"

Upon saying that, he turned his attention to Captain Falcon, who had returned to the tribe.

"Hey guys, I found something REALLY weird." He proclaimed.

"Huh?" Little Mac's ears perked up. "What'd you find?"

"It better not be an idol, I was-a planning on looking for one later today!" Wario scoffed.

He shook his head. "It's a long story, and you wouldn't believe me. I just want everyone to follow me, because... I dunno how to describe it, it's so bizarre!"

Squidward rolled his eyes as he stood up. "Whatever..."

Everybody began following Captain Falcon, and soon they were at a stretch of beach that they usually never went to. It was super far away from both tribes, as well as the area where all the challenges took place, meaning that this was a pretty unexplored section of the area.

"I came down here looking for an idol, I'll admit that." Captain Falcon confessed. "But, look..."

He took them to a patch of sand and brushed away the rest of it.

A large metal hatch was revealed amongst all of the sand. Not only that, but it had one red keyhole on it.

"What's-a this for?" Wario spat.

"A giant metal door, obviously." Squidward answered. "What's inside isn't important, it's probably some storage thing."

"I don't think so..." Little Mac analyzed it.

Reigen held up a small piece of paper that was crammed into the keyhole. "This note says otherwise, Squidward."

He read out the note:

"This is the door leading to The Revival Idol. Open at your own discretion..."

"The Revival Idol?" Squidward's eyes lit up. "That sounds incredibly useful!"

"It HAS to be an idol that saves you from elimination! That's the only possibility judging by the name. I'm going to get those keys and I am going to GET that idol!" - Squidward Tentacles.

Captain Falcon rubbed his chin. "I wanted to keep it a secret, but I didn't even see that note, so I thought it was just a storage thing like what Squidward said."

"Aye, that's strange, though that idol sounds useful! How are we gonna find that key?" Mr. Krabs questioned.

"I don't know, but it seems like whoever gets that key won't tell anyone else about it." Reigen stated. "It's just how people are in this game, they want that idol's power for themselves."

They then returned back to the tribe, people were now more interested in hunting for advantages to their game than ever...

* * *

**Challenge: Day 12**

The sight of the challenge for today was definitely a sight that the survivors weren't ever expecting to see at all.

Alexa was sipping a Pina Colada from a coconut, laying down on a folding deck chair with sunglasses on. That alone wasn't too surreal to them, but between him were two large and perfectly round stone boulders.

"JOSUKE." Papyrus whispered to him. "WHERE IS THE HEDGEHOG?!"

His question caused his face to drop, had Sonic been eliminated?! Whilst all signs pointed to a miserable yes, he really tried to not believe that fact.

"How do you get this stuff onto the island?" Reigen asked under his breath. "Those are huge!"

"I don't care, all I know is that I am too thirsty from the blistering heat to do anything with those boulders!" Squidward whined, fanning himself with his own tentacles.

"Oh, survivors! I didn't notice you there. I was just enjoying a nice drink to cool me down on this especially hot day, exactly thirty-six degrees, whilst a usual day here would range anywhere from twenty-five to thirty degrees, aside from that stormy day, which dipped to temperatures JUST below twenty degrees. Before any of you guys ask, that's in CELSIUS. If you use Fahrenheit then I'll be incredibly disappointed." Alexa admitted, sipping from his drink before giving an exaggerated sigh of joy. "Unfortunately for you guys, this hot day will definitely be making today's challenge a living nightmare."

"Please don't tell me that we're going to move those boulders..." Johnny pleaded. "My hairdo is starting to become wet due to all of the sweating I've been doing today!"

Samus groaned at the unnecessary fact. "Charming..."

"Sorry but that's EXACTLY what you guys are going to be doing today!" He announced with a warm smile. "Now, today's challenge involves all members of each team pushing a heavy stone boulder around the whole island via its magnificent coastline! You guys will be able to enjoy the nice crystal waters and the fine golden sands of the island whilst pushing an ugly boulder. You will push the boulder back to me, and the first team to do so will win immunity!"

"Finally!" Wario grinned, wringing his hands. "A challenge that is-a perfectly fit for my strength!"

Alexa then continued. "That's not all! The winners will also receive a nice prize, which consists of Japanese folding fans for you to help cool off! You will also receive an extra bag of rice and an extra bag of beans on top of that."

"FANS?!" Dedede's pupils almost resembled hearts as he began grinning. "Team, you all know I'm gonna try my very best either way, but I'm gonna clobba dat darn boulder if it means I'll get something to help cool me off!"

"Maybe try removing your robes?" Wii Fit Trainer suggested.

He shook his head. "Sorry, but these royal robes will NOT be taken off, even if I'm placed into a volcano!"

"You've already had some memoirs, it's now our turn to get something good!" Captain Falcon stated with a competitive look on his face.

"I'd like to see ya try, bird boy!" Dedede scowled. "These fans are Laau Pama exclusive, pal!"

Alexa chuckled at the interaction. "Well, even in this heat, you all got that spirit! Will that spirit maintain throughout the whole challenge, however? It's best if we find out now! Survivors, please go to your designated boulder, which has been marked in your team color."

New Laau Pama went over to the boulder marked with a green X, whereas New Haupia went to over to the boulder marked with a white X.

Mr. Krabs attempted to push the boulder by himself to test both his strength and the boulder's weight, and unfortunately, it didn't budge at all.

"Sheesh, this is gonna take a while..." He sighed. "I'd prefer ANY challenge but this!"

"I don't know about you, but that rope endurance challenge would be even worse in this weather." Reigen commented. "It's twenty percent hotter than this place is at its worst!"

"Quit yabberin' and get pushin' if you wanna win!" Dedede taunted from afar, preparing to push the boulder on Alexa's command.

Alexa then disappeared into the forest for a small while, before getting out a picture frame of Sonic. "I almost forgot to tell you guys about the latest elimination! Sonic the Hedgehog was eliminated via stone draw, which only happens when two draws occur. I figured that I'd only tell everyone about this AFTER it happened, mainly because it'd have a higher chance of happening!"

"Why you..." Little Mac clenched his fists at his snarky comment, though he definitely couldn't do anything to shut Alexa up.

Josuke and Papyrus showed serious sadness on their face when it was confirmed, and several other survivors expressed nothing but shock too.

"Sonic of all people? He's cool-headed, he's incredibly fast and strong, and he had people on his side! Yet, he was eliminated because of two ties in a row? Haupia has definitely taken a hit, and if they barely lose today's challenge, then chances are it was because they were missing somebody like Sonic to help them out." - Josuke Higashikata.

Alexa then brushed off the events like they were nothing. "Now, let's move onto this challenge! After all, nobody would want to stand out in the blistering sun for any longer right?"

"Exactly! Excess sunlight can easily cause sunburns, which are painful red splotches on your skin, and they can even cause some types of skin cancer!" Wii Fit Trainer warned. "I recommend you supply us with sunscreen, Alexa, or it could be incredibly dangerous."

"Relaaaax. You'll all be fine. Besides, it was IN the contract that we couldn't be held accountable for things like that." He shrugged.

"So you think that your scummy contracts will make you free from accountability?! These environments are beyond unhealthy if you aren't willing to give us some form of protection for our skin!" She scalded. "How would you like it if we made you and a bunch of other strangers push around some rock in the dangerous and hot sunlight with little to no protection whatsoever? Shame on you."

The host went blank at the rant, slightly scared by her growing annoyance towards his principles. "Y'know what, yeah you're right... all survivors will receive a free bottle of sunscreen by the end of today to prevent any damage towards their skin for future challenges!"

"Was it really that easy?" Squidward asked before laughing. "Talk about thin-skin..."

After his promise, Alexa then pointed to the survivors. "Moving on! When I count down, New Laau Pama will push their boulder to the left whilst New Haupia will push their boulder to the right, so both boulders will be moving away from one another! 3..."

"2..."

"1..."

"GO!" He blew on his whistle, causing every survivor to begin pushing at once.

Both boulders began moving, albeit it was pretty slow and took a lot of effort for everyone. However, it was just SLIGHTLY easier for New Haupia to make the push on the boulder, and upon further inspection, they quickly caught on to the fact that the boulder was slightly smaller than the other one.

"What the?! This boulder's smaller?" Mr. Krabs said. "Well, I ain't complainin' for sure! Arkarkarkark!"

Johnny rubbed his chin. "Hmmm, maybe it's because he knows we'll win, so he wants to get it over with sooner by sneaking us an advantage!"

"That makes no sense! It's probably just a small advantage due to us being one man down." Squidward argued.

"Nah, definitely seems like some bias, but I won't tell anyone about it, because who WOULDN'T be biased towards me?" He stubbornly and rhetorically questioned. "That's right! Nobody."

Twenty minutes into the challenge and New Laau Pama were 14% of the way through, whilst New Haupia were slightly behind, at 12% of the way through.

"Bloody Hell..." Gordon huffed and puffed. "I'm already beginning to get tired of pushing. I can still see them in the distance!"

"We've made barely any progress from the looks of it." Samus analyzed. "But let's just focus on pushing this boulder, otherwise we would have done all of this for nothing."

"Exactly, and I hate doing things for nothing, though that does quite seem to be the story of my life." Geoffrey confessed. "But that's besides the point."

"MUST... PUSH... BOULDER!" Papyrus began yelling. "I CAN DO ITTT!"

Dedede gave a small slap on the skeleton's head. "Shuddup! Chances are, you're probably the weakest one here!"

"HMMPH, WELL, IF THAT IS YOUR BELIEF, THEN I HAVE TOO MUCH KINDNESS TO PUT YOU IN YOUR PLACE! I AM DEFINITELY ONE OF THE MOST ENDURING, HOWEVER." He grinned. "GET USED TO THAT ATTRIBUTE, YOU'LL BE SEEING IT... A... LOT!"

"You seem like you're about to-a collapse dead!" Mario admitted. "Doesn't sound too-a enduring..."

Papyrus simply refused to respond, as he put all of his attention into pushing the boulder.

Meanwhile, New Haupia had no problems with making conversation along the way.

"Aye, what's in this thing?!" Mr. Krabs asked.

"A couple of dead whales from the feel of it!" Johnny exaggerated.

Suddenly, the crab leaned in next to him, glaring. "You better take that one back, or yer not going to like what happens next!"

"Err, sorry about whatever I said back there, Crabbucino." He apologized.

"Aye, yer fine there Johnny, just don't go talkin' about whales like that." Mr. Krabs warned.

"Nobody talks about dead whales willy-nilly when I'm around! I got a daughter that's a whale for Neptune's sake!" - Mr. Krabs.

"I thought he'd get mad at crab jokes, not whale jokes! What, does he have a whale as a friend or somethin'? Pretty weird how a crab is friends with a whale..." - Johnny Bravo.

Reigen wiped the sweat from his brow, visibly exhausted already. "Man, this is some challenge... I don't think we're even close to halfway yet, and I'm already... sweating..."

"WAHAHAHA! You're-a SO weak, I could-a push this for years and years and not get-a tired." Wario lied with a smug grin. "Typical average humans like you are for-a typing on a computer or being a lawyer, you aren't meant for the burly WARIO-EXCLUSIVE jobs! WAHAHAHA!"

The taunt caused him to roll his eyes, as he put all of his attention back into the boulder.

"Show it, don't say it!" Little Mac barked.

Wario snorted. "I'm-a already showing it!"

"Then show it harder, for all I care." Squidward added.

Unexpectedly for some, but expectedly for the rest, Wario began pushing the boulder much harder than before, making swifter progress than before.

Fifty minutes were now spent pushing a giant rock across the coastline of an island, and the survivors were visibly sweating, no exceptions. The heat and the activity they were doing was simply too much to handle without at least showing severe fatigue.

Most of the weaker survivors were now just leaning against the boulder, making it go slightly slower than before, and making it a bigger workout for those who hadn't gotten fully fatigued yet.

In the half-hour spent, New Laau Pama was 31% of the way through the challenge, whilst New Haupia were at a decent lead, at 39% of the way.

"Okay, it's now time for a break!" Wii Fit Trainer declared. "Everyone, stop pushing the boulder."

"A BREAK?!" Papyrus gasped. "YOU LAZY... LAZY... HUMAN! WE HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING OR WE'LL LOSE THIS CHALLENGE!"

Gordon also looked incredibly shocked at her announcement. "Are you mad? We can't take a break during a challenge that requires us to CONSTANTLY be on the boulder!"

"The Pompous Papyrus and Gordon have very justified concerns, madam." Geoffrey admitted. "This is no time to be taking a break, no matter how tired we may get!"

"Exactly! I don't care if y'all are dyin', I'm going to get those fans no matter WHAT happens!" Proclaimed Dedede. "Now get pushin', this boulder's going slower without ya!"

Wii Fit Trainer folded her arms. "It's okay. If we take a break and get our energy back up, even if it's just for five minutes, then we'll be just as efficient as before!"

"And if the other team keeps pushin' whilst we relax?" He raised an eyebrow. "Your logic is flawed!"

"If they keep pushing without a break, then all of them will get too tired to even push it properly. Their progress will be minimal and we will catch up in no time!" She explained. "Trust me, it's like the Tortoise and the Hare story. Slow and steady may just win the race!"

The penguin grumbled. "Fine! Though if we lose, I ain't gonna hesitate to eliminate you."

As soon as he stopped pushing the boulder, it slowed down immensely, almost to a complete halt.

"I guess we'll have to take your word for it." Samus sat on the shaded side of the boulder.

"You-a better be right!" Mario said.

"WHY CAN'T WE JUST BREAK THE BOULDER, WALK AROUND THE ISLAND WITH THE PIECES, AND FIX IT USING JOSUKE'S HEAL-Y POWERS?!" Papyrus suggested.

Josuke nodded. "Sounds feasible! Though we won't be able to break that boulder, so it's actually not a good idea..."

"Teaching everybody about my powers is going to be a drag. Nobody knows how they work, so naturally, they're going to assume that it'll be the team's saving grace, no matter what the challenge is! Despite Alexa probably taking every single attribute that the people on this island have into account." - Josuke Higashikata.

Whilst they had suggested a break, New Haupia was hellbent on winning the competition with no breaks whatsoever.

"I think we're making progress because I can't see Alexa anymore!" Little Mac exclaimed. "This must be good, right?"

"Well, we don't know..." Mr. Krabs huffed and puffed. "Maybe they're ahead of us, so keep pushin'!"

"WAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Wario cried with determination, still pushing the boulder at the same strength as before. "MUST... KEEP-A PUSHING!"

"You could push this a few more times around the island, huh?" Captain Falcon sniggered. "C'mon, at least own up to the fact that you're tired."

The treasure hunter trembled as he shook his head in a jagged manner. "N-NO! I'M-A JUST-"

"Tired?" Squidward chimed in.

"NO!" He shook his head frantically, though still jagged. "IT DOESN'T MATTER! I'M-A COMPLETELY... FIIIINE! WAAAAAH!"

Little Mac looked over at him, watching him as he continued pushing the rock with all of his might. He said he was fine, but Wario was aching in his fingers, hands, arms, shoulders and even in his legs and back. His face was cherry-red in color, and his arms were slightly pale.

"Are you okay?" He asked him. "You CAN take a break for a minute if you want. No person should be looking white and red simultaneously whilst also screaming. My training definitely never gets that rough."

"WELL YOUR TRAINING IS-A LAME!" Wario spat.

Another twenty-five minutes passed, making the challenge come to a total of seventy-five minutes, or an hour and a quarter.

New Laau Pama took their break and had made decent progress, getting to 48% of the way there, whilst New Haupia were beyond halfway, at an incredible 61%, which was definitely an impressive lead.

However, in terms of overall energy, New Laau Pama definitely had a lot of that thanks to their break, though a few were put down by how they saw New Haupia pass them earlier.

"We gotta push thing now, and fast!" Dedede commanded. "Put ya back into this boulder!"

"It's-a difficult to get a grip on this thing at-a times." Mario admitted. "I-a never thought it would be so-a hard..."

"At least it's gotten cooler." Samus said, looking on the bright side. "Clouds are also coming out, so they may even block the sun if we're lucky. Remember that the relief we're getting is also the same for Haupia as well."

"That's likely why King Dedede would like us to go a tad bit faster. I think we're around halfway." Geoffrey guessed. "Though, I could just be mad."

Gordon gave a thumbs up. "I've been keeping track and you're right, we are halfway through."

"This sucks..." Josuke groaned. "It feels like we've been pushing all week, and we're only halfway?!"

"I AGREE. I BET TIME WILL GO EVIL ON US AND MAKE THE FINAL STRETCH FEEL EVEN LONGER THAN THIS!" Papyrus tutted. "ALEXA TRULY WANTS US TO FEEL DESPAIR..."

"Like he hasn't been achieving that all bloody game." Gordon muttered. "My arms are killing me, should we take another break?"

Wii Fit Trainer gave a shrug. "Let's not take them too often! Maybe in the next ten minutes, then we'll give it our all until we finish!"

"Fair." He accepted. "I'm just tired."

"Aren't we all?" She asked.

Meanwhile, New Haupia was struggling a lot at this point, as they had no break whatsoever.

Wario was incredibly close to snapping, his arms and legs were trembling and his teeth were chattering from the intensity of it all.

"C'mon, we have a huge lead, let's not slack!" Captain Falcon reminded. "Now that they know that they are behind by a lot, then they'll try even harder!"

"It looks like the chubby guy is about to-" Johnny's comment was interrupted by Wario collapsing onto the ground, his arms and legs looked deflated. "...Give out." He finished.

Mr. Krabs poked him using his stubby foot. "C'mon lad, we're almost there!"

Wario could only utter gibberish, as he was too weak to lift his head from the sandy beach.

"C'mon, keep pushing!" Johnny nudged Mr. Krabs. "Remember what birdman said!"

"Nope, stop pushing, we're one man down!" Captain Falcon demanded, kneeling down to tap Wario on the shoulder. "You doing okay buddy?"

"Wahh..." He said, tilting his head upwards. "I'm-a fine..."

Mr. Krabs nodded. "AYE, that's the spirit, you oaf! Now get up-"

"Mr. Krabs, he looks like he's about to die! I hate him as much as the next guy but we won't win this challenge with one man down." Squidward groaned. "His fault for trying to look cool..."

Little Mac scratched the back of his head. "He's right. The guy can't even lift his head properly, so I think we have to leave him behind!"

Captain Falcon raised his eyebrow. "Will we win the challenge with one man down?"

"We'll have to find out, get pushing!" Little Mac ordered, springing away from Wario and pushing the rock again.

Hesitantly, everybody else joined in, and the boulder began moving again.

Wario lifted his head up once more to see them moving away before slamming it back into the ground.

Reigen sighed. "Just wait until that health-freak girl sees Wario like this, she'll give Alexa a scalding that nobody would want to miss."

"Yer right, kid!" Mr. Krabs laughed. "There's always a rainbow above the storm! That rainbow bein' the host-lad getting his butt roasted off!"

As their optimism quickly filled back up, they put their all into pushing the boulder to make up for losing Wario.

Forty-five minutes then passed since that event, bringing the total time of the challenge thus far to an incredible one-hundred and ten minutes! Nearly two hours were spent pushing a boulder across the island.

New Laau Pama had made significant progress once more, reaching 74%. New Haupia was still in a great lead at 81%, though it was a much smaller gap between them than before.

"I can see em' again!" Dedede pointed over to the enemy team's boulder. "We just gotta reach Alexa first, so let's keep pushin'!"

"Agreed! No time for breaks anymore." Wii Fit Trainer proclaimed with a competitive look plastered on her face.

New Haupia had a similar attitude.

"We're almost there! I can see Alexa and Laau Pama. Alexa's still in his chair." Described Reigen. "We're closer to him."

"Just push more! We don't need Wario to win this." Captain Falcon motivated the weaker members of his team.

"Aye... I can't go on much longer me'self." Mr. Krabs confessed, his eyes were half-shut from the exhaustion of it all.

The bounty hunter nudged Mr. Krabs with his wrist. "Keep going, you can do it!"

"Gotta... keep..." Squidward uttered, almost silent. "...Going..."

Another ten minutes had passed. The challenge was nearing its end after two painful hours.

Alexa sat back on his chair, sleeping. He had been sitting in the exact same spot for two whole hours, and even a bit more before that, so naturally the boredom of waiting made him doze off.

"They've almost arrived, sir." One of his bodyguards asked.

"Zzz..." Alexa replied, heavy snoring was more than audible.

The bodyguard stepped over and prodded his shoulder with his finger, causing Alexa to jump up with shock.

"Nrgh?! Five more minu-... oh wait! What happened?!" Alexa questioned, panicking. "Don't tell me I missed the challenge's climax!"

"No, sir." He shook his head.

Alexa gave a sigh of relief. "Oh thank God... you're just warning me?"

"Yes, sir." He nodded his head.

He laid back down on his chair, adjusting his sunglasses back on with a grin as he looked from side to side in an attempt to spot the survivors. "Sheesh, they're close!"

Alexa turned out to be correct with his observation, as New Laau Pama was now at 85%; Haupia was at 88%.

"PUSH!" Papyrus yelled.

"Oh really? I thought we had to pull! Good thing you're all so kind for reminding me every chance you get." Geoffrey wittily rolled his eyes. "For your information, I don't have the memory of a goldfish."

...

"Just push the damn rock." Samus insisted, slightly annoyed at his sarcasm.

Meanwhile, almost everyone aside from Little Mac and Captain Falcon was a lot weaker and more tired than before. Even Johnny, who was incredibly muscular and strong, had a very hard time enduring the challenge.

"Come on guys, don't give out yet! Our lead keeps on decreasing, and that's not good." Little Mac stated. "I know we can do this! We aren't going through ANOTHER council!"

His words were void for a few, though a couple of others got a slight bit more motivated to keep pushing with more effort.

Fifteen minutes had passed, and Alexa managed to doze off once more.

The same bodyguard that had woken him up before prodded his shoulder again, causing him to spring back up.

"I'M AWAKE!" He barked, frantically looking from side to side.

Both rocks were incredibly close to him. Both teams tied at 96%.

"Woah! Now, this is interesting." Alexa removed his shades. "NEW HAUPIA, NEW LAAU PAMA, GIVE IT YOUR ALL! THIS IS THE FINAL STRETCH!"

"C'mon..." Josuke gritted his teeth.

"This challenge is an overall pisstake, I just hope we can get a win out of it." Gordon prayed, his face completely red from the exhaustion.

Most of New Haupia's members had given up trying to give it their all at this point, and even Captain Falcon was beginning to become exhausted from all of the pushing and the heat. Little Mac, however, had too much determination to stop.

Minute after minute passed, and New Laau Pama was beginning to finally overtake New Haupia.

Soon, both teams were just a few meters away from Alexa.

"The first one who touches my chair with the boulder wins the challenge!" He reminded with a wink.

"PUUUUUUSH!" King Dedede screamed.

"C'MON GUYS, WE CAN DO IT!" Little Mac cried, using all of his strength to push it.

...

...

...

*Dink*

The sound of the boulder hitting Alexa's chair marked the victory, and Alexa told everyone to stop pushing...

"The team that managed to hit my chair first was..." Alexa held his tongue. "New Laau Pama!"

"WE DID IT!" Dedede proceeded to bearhug the closest team members to him. "WE WON OURSELVES IMMUNITY, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, 'DEM FANS!"

Papyrus was jumping up and down with joy. "HUZZAH! PAPYRUS IS SAFE ONCE AGAIN!"

"No..." Little Mac softly whispered to himself. "We lost...?"

"Congratulations New Laau Pama, this is your second, technically third win in a row! Your reward, the fans, are right here." Alexa held them up.

As soon as he saw them, Dedede came storming over before nabbing four at once.

He began fanning himself, and his face went from excited to relieved in a matter of seconds.

"Ahh, does that feel great!" He smirked.

"Mind if I-a have one?" Mario asked.

Dedede uncooperatively spun around, facing away from the plumber. "You ain't havin' mine!"

"I was-a talking to Alexa." He revealed, grabbing one from the host and fanning himself. "Calm-a down!"

"Feel free to take them back to tribe!" Alexa smiled. "Now, not only that, but you guys have also won immunity for yourself! Please leave this challenge area immediately, I would like a small word with New Haupia to myself..."

The members of New Laau Pama gladfully obliged, all of them walking off into the forest.

"Remember to provide us with something to help combat that sun!" Wii Fit Trainer reminded.

"Yeah yeah." He tutted.

Alexa's grin then turned to a concerned look as he turned to face the exhausted New Haupia.

"Where's Wario?" He asked.

"RIGHT-A... HERE!" Bellowed Wario, slowly crawling over to him.

Alexa's eyes darted up at the rest of the team before they focused back to Wario, he then leaned down and analyzed the survivor's condition.

He lifted Wario's head, checking for any wounds or gashes. After doing so, he gave a shrug.

"You're fine." He examined. "Though... you seem too weak to even stand up. Can someone assist Wario back to tribe, please?"

"Oh wow, I didn't know you were capable of caring!" Squidward mocked.

He then proceeded to brush the sand off of his palms before putting his hands on his hips. "Anyway! It's time you guys go to tribe and decide who to eliminate and all of that jazz. Just be aware... Tribal Council may be a bit different this time around. Now scram!"

The losing members proceeded to stagger off back into the forest, all of them were aching and tired, though Captain Falcon and Reigen had to assist Wario back, as he was especially weak.

"I-a better be seen as a hero for this..." Wario grumbled.

* * *

**New Laau Pama: Day 12**

Survivors: Johnny Bravo - Mr. Krabs - Captain Falcon - Wario - Squidward Tentacles - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen

"So..." Mr. Krabs gave a nervous grin. "Are we puttin' the whole fiasco of last elimination behind us or what?"

"I dunno about you, but I'm still voting the same person I voted for last time... who'd I vote for last time again?" Johnny leaned over to Squidward.

"Aww mama, this team's even more confusing than the last one! Everyone voted for the crab or the fatty but instead, the weird blue porcupine fella was eliminated instead. Can't these people even make their minds up about who to vote? Tribal Council really felt like it repeated itself twice... I mean it did, but you get what I mean!" - Johnny Bravo.

He gave a simple shrug before pointing to Mr. Krabs with his tentacle. "Probably Mr. Krabs."

"Mr. Squidward! I swear I'll be dockin' yer pay if you continue to vote against me." He threatened. "Ye aren't gonna get me eliminated for no reason!"

"No reason?!" He put his tentacles on his hips. "I think you've caused enough trouble for this tribe already, and I think that's a good enough reason to get you out first."

Little Mac shook his head. "Come on guys, we need to decide who to eliminate this time, we can't get another tie!"

"Relax, Mac. We have seven people on our team, and if everyone just votes for Krabs or Wario again, then there's no chance of a tie." Reigen reassured. "Trust me, it's going to be one of these two, and I'm going to be voting for Wario again."

"WAAAAH?!" Wario gasped. "WHY-A ME?! I CARRIED THIS-A TEAM THROUGHOUT MOST OF-A LAST CHALLENGE!"

Captain Falcon gave a pitied look towards his aching tribe mate. "I'm sorry about how you collapsed from it all, but at the same time, you really shouldn't have shown off! If we still had you throughout the rest of the challenge, then we might have won! Instead, we were one man down, which made pushing the rock harder for everyone here!"

"Not-a my fault, you're all too weak." He glowered. "I can't-a believe that crab is still here! How is he supposed to push a rock with claws, anyway?!"

Mr. Krabs folded his arms with an expression that could only be described as bitterly shameful. "Aye, I don't think you should be bringin' up me claws like they're a bad thing! I did the best out of everyone on my team back in that grip challenge with the storm!"

"Right, and that's your only claim to-a fame!" Wario snickered. "Being second in a challenge!"

"I'm really not interested in listening to your ego-measuring contest." Reigen admitted, causing the two bickering survivors to growl at him.

"YOU'RE-A ONE TO TALK!" Wario snapped. "MR. "GREATEST PSYCHIC"!"

Reigen gave a basic, light chortle at his anger. "Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century!" he snarkily corrected.

Wario's eye twitched with rage.

Before things could get any more serious between the two, Johnny broke it up unintentionally with a question. "So... is anyone changin' their votes or not?"

In unison, Squidward, Wario, Mr. Krabs, Captain Falcon, and Little Mac shook their heads. "Nope!"

Reigen scratched the back of his neck. "I guess I'll vote for Wario again. Though, I feel like we're all forgetting something."

"Eh?" Squidward turned his head towards the apparent psychic. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh yeah! He's right!" Captain Falcon clicked his fingers, remembering what Alexa had said moments before they left the beach to return to tribe.

"Just be aware... Tribal Council may be a bit different this time around." Reigen repeated the host's cryptic words. "What do you think he meant by that?"

Squidward shrugged. "I don't know, nor is there any point to thinking about it! We just have to see."

"I hope it isn't too big of a deal..." Mr. Krabs gulped.

"This weird special thingamajig that Alexa is-a talking about could save me once-a more from elimination! Maybe it's a chance at immunity, or maybe it gives-a me the opportunity to vote off ANYONE I-a want! Then I can-a get rid of Krabs and continue my journey to-a winning! WAAAHAHAHAHA!" - Wario.

Little Mac rested his head on his hand, incredibly bummed. "I just wish we won that challenge, we were so close! No, we were more than that, we were an inch or two away from winning and we just barely blew it... maybe if I just put more oomph into the challenge we might have won."

"Woah, don't go beating yourself up there!" Captain Falcon civilly scalded. "You were probably the main brawn of the team! It was everyone who failed the challenge, not just you."

"I guess you're right, it just sucks how we're losing yet ANOTHER member. After we lost Sonic, I couldn't help but feel guilty!" Little Mac confessed. "If I had tried harder and won that point, then it would have been a tie, and whatever happened from there might have caused us to win! Instead, I couldn't get that point, and some idiot changed votes last second and caused those stones!" - Captain Falcon

Mr. Krabs sighed. "Nobody could have predicted that, lad. Don't go too hard on yer'self!"

"Yeah, he's right!" Captain Falcon concurred, putting his hand on the glum boxer's shoulder. "Let's just go into this crummy Tribal Council and get things over with. Alexa will HAVE to give us an advantage for the next challenge if we're two men down!"

"We can't have morale lost on this team. I almost lost my own morale myself, but luckily Mario managed to cheer me up, and although we're on different teams, we haven't been eliminated yet! I won't allow Little mac to lose his confidence and morale either, otherwise, it may negatively affect him in future challenges, and the last thing that kid wants is yet ANOTHER loss!"

"...Alright." He agreed, standing up. He may have had a smile on his face, but he was still completely dreading the Tribal Council.

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 12**

Upon entering the familiar place, they noticed that something was slightly off about it. Unfortunately, nobody could exactly pinpoint the difference at a first glance. The stumps were still there, the torches were the same, but one thing about all of the lighting was off.

Eventually, it hit them, the lights were no longer a warm red-orange hue, but were a lime green hue instead.

"What's with the green lighting?" Reigen asked.

"Beats me..." Johnny shrugged. "Red is a bad color, whilst green is a good one, so maybe nobody's going to be eliminated!"

"A bit too optimistic there, Johnny..." Mr. Krabs said.

He shook his head. "Naw, it's realistic! Why else would the lighting be green?"

"You're right about the green lighting meaning something different, Johnny." Alexa said, appearing from the shadows.

"AAAAAH!" He cried in terror before calming down. "Oh, it's just you. I was just testin' if my voice was fine by going high-pitch."

Squidward chortled. "Sure... anyway, what IS this lighting for?"

"You'll find out soon enough." He grinned. "But before we do, I just want to emphasize the fact that this is your second loss in a row! Technically three, if you count old Haupia's loss before the team shuffle. What do you think is the main problem for this team, Little Mac?"

"Well, err." He scratched the back of his head. "I think it's to do with the other team simply just outclassing us for last challenge, as we all put in our all to that challenge! I assume you made the boulder smaller to put as at an advantage to us, right?"

The host gave a firm nod. "Correcto! You think that it was just because of New Laau Pama being generally superior to you?"

"Actually, if Wario wasn't such a show-off, then we might have won!" Mr. Krabs butted in. "That lad is gettin' eliminated no matter what!"

"NUH-UH!" Wario barked in response, his face red. "I-A CARRIED EVERYONE LAST CHALLENGE!"

"You did push yourself to an absolute limit, Wario, so maybe your words ring true." Nodded Alexa. "Now, Captain Falcon, have you gotten used to this team after four days?"

Captain Falcon gave a grin. "It's slightly mixed, but I'm pretty content with my team. I just wish we were in agreement more often, as I feel like this vote may split the team apart as it did back in Laau Pama with Eggman."

"I see, I see." He then pointed to the pathway leading to the voting area. "Survivors! It's time to place your votes..."

Mr. Krabs: I ain't changin' my vote off you until you aren't an option anymore you stinky menace! (Wario)

Wario: You-a reek of sea salt, and more importantly, you-a reek of idiocy you musty old-a crab! (Mr. Krabs)

Little Mac: Sorry but, I'm not changing my vote despite how helpful you were. (Wario)

Squidward Tentacles: I know Wario's going to be eliminated instead of Krabs, but it's worth a shot. (Mr. Krabs)

"Survivors, I will now read out the votes!" Alexa announced. "But before I do, would anyone like to use an idol?"

Wario groaned as he got reminded of how his idol was technically wasted, though he's thankful for it saving him on the first vote.

...

...

...

"No? Well, it's time to read out the votes!" Alexa wrung his hands with excitement. "Man do I love this part."

***VOTING TIME***

Mr. Krabs, one vote Mr. Krabs.

Wario, one vote Wario, one vote Mr. Krabs.

Mr. Krabs, two votes Mr. Krabs, one vote Wario.

Wario, two votes Wario and Mr. Krabs. (Wario begins to sweat profusely.)

Mr. Krabs, three votes Mr. Krabs, two votes Wario. (Mr. Krabs gives a gulp, just in case he's secretly blindsided.)

Wario, three votes Wario, three votes Mr. Krabs. ("Pleasepleaseplease!" Wario begs to himself.)

"And the sixth and seventh eliminee of Survivor Crossover: Tropics is..." Alexa paused.

...

...

"Wait, did he just say sixth AND seventh?!" Little Mac called out.

"WHAT?!" Mr. Krabs yelled.

...

"Wario and Mr. Krabs, at 4-3." Alexa gave an evil smirk. "You see, the difference of this Tribal Council was a DOUBLE ELIMINATION! Meaning that the top two most voted survivors would be eliminated from the show. Wario, at four votes, and Mr. Krabs at three, your times are up, please hand me your torch."

Wario simply gawked at the situation, as Mr. Krabs began crying.

"PLEASE DON'T TAKE ME! THIS AIN'T FAIR!" He whined. "PLEASE ALEXA, I'LL GIVE YA ANYTHIN' YOU WANT!"

"Anything?" Alexa gasped. "ANYTHING?!"

"YEEEEES!" Mr. Krabs frantically nodded.

The host looked down at his feet before looking back up to the miserable crustacean. "You can give me your torch!"

"NOOOOOO!" He wailed.

Wario had already bitterly accepted his defeat, snatching his torch and rudely shoving it into Alexa's arms.

Alexa then snuffed his torch, declaring his elimination.

"I hope you're all-a happy getting rid of me, WARIO! ONE OF THE STRONGEST TEAM MEMBERS THAT YOU-A HAVE!" He growled.

"Yeah yeah, we get it, just leave already." Reigen declined his rant, causing the treasure hunter to angrily storm out of the Tribal Council.

As for Mr. Krabs, he was now at Alexa's feet, begging for absolute mercy.

"Calm down, you aren't going to die or anything!" Alexa assured. "Just give me your torch and stop the crying."

"ALL OF ME PRECIOUS MONEY..." Mr. Krabs snatched the torch using his claws before handing it to Alexa. "IS DOWN THE DRAIN..."

"Like with Wario..." Alexa snuffed his torch. "Please leave Survivor, you did well, Eugene."

As he wiped the tears from his eyes, he turned towards his team. "ONE DAY I'LL BE BACK TO GET ME MONEY! BUT FOR NOW, I WANT THOSE WHO VOTED FOR WARIO TO WIN INSTEAD!"

He walked off, disappearing from sight.

"That was one crazy night! Wario was an incredibly strong yet loud-mouthed and brutal contestant, and his own arrogance and bitter personality caused him to get the boot fairly early. As for Mr. Krabs, he was a greedy yet strong opponent himself, so I guess the especially money-hungry contestants have been eliminated! Sleep tight, New Haupia, and please win yourself that next challenge!" He waved goodbye.

* * *

Wario's Last Words: "This game was-a made for the weakling losers who can't handle REAL strength, so I don't-a care that I lost. My corporation is worth a thousand times more money than this-a stupid prize. Who needs a hotel when I can afford to-a build one myself?! WAAAHAHAHAHA!"

* * *

Mr. Krabs' Last Words: "This was a load of barnacles. I didn't deserve to be eliminated yet! Mr. Squidward failed me as an employee, and for that, I'll be halvin' his pay for a good while until he learns to respect his manager!"

* * *

**VOTES**

Wario's voters: Mr. Krabs, Arataka Reigen, Little Mac, Captain Falcon.

Mr. Krabs' voters: Wario, Squidward Tentacles, Johnny Bravo.

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Wario. (USED)

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon. (USED)

Idol of Mirroring - Geoffrey Butler.

Idol of ? - Unknown

The ? Idol - Unknown

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

New Laau Pama (Green Team)

\- Mario

\- Papyrus

\- Samus Aran

\- Josuke Higashikata

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Geoffrey Butler

\- Gordon Ramsay

\- King Dedede

New Haupia (White Team)

\- Johnny Bravo

\- Captain Falcon

\- Squidward Tentacles

\- Little Mac

\- Arataka Reigen


	10. Episode 7 - Too handsome for quizzes!

Episode 7: Too Handsome for Quizzes!

**New Laau Pama: Day 13**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Josuke Higashikata - Wii Fit Trainer - Geoffrey Butler - Gordon Ramsay - King Dedede

"Hey, wanna know a fun fact?" Wii Fit Trainer rhetorically asked. "There's now fourteen of us left, right? Tomorrow will mark the fourteenth day of us being on this island, so it'll be the only time where the survivor amount and the day are the same!"

Mario nodded. "That's-a neat! It definitely feels like I've been here-a much longer, these days go by very slow."

"You think so?" Gordon asked. "It feels like Peter and Eggman were on the same team as me until yesterday. Time's gone by for me, thank *CENSORED* for that."

"Say, now that y'all reminded me..." Dedede rubbed his chin. "Who do you think was eliminated last night? That fat guy Wario MUST have gone home this time!"

Papyrus sighed. "I AGREE, THOUGH I WISH THAT SONIC WASN'T ELIMINATED. WE HAD A SMALL BOND, AND I'D MUCH RATHER HAVE THAT LAZY PEST GO OUT FIRST INSTEAD OF HIM!"

"Sonic was a threat." Samus admitted. "A huge threat."

"Come on now, don't say that." Josuke shook his head. "He was a great friend, just because he's good at challenges doesn't mean he's instantly a threat!"

In response to his comment, she gave a small chuckle. "I think you're forgetting the point of this competition. It's not a fun party where we meet new friends, it's an opportunity to win a million dollars. I may not take it as far as to hate people who get in my way, but people who pose a threat to me are a priority to get rid of."

"So if we're good at-a challenges, we're a threat?" Mario queried.

"If people get in your way, they're a threat." Corrected Samus. "That's what I mean. I didn't see Sonic much, but he was incredibly good at challenges, his speed would demolish everyone in any speed-based challenge, and he has impeccable strength and is a lot smarter than you think. He was the most powerful opponent in this entire competition, and the fact that he's gone makes it a lot easier for us."

"I guess you're-a right..." He admitted. "Sonic never did poorly in any challenge I-a saw him in. In fact, if he was the blindfolded one back in that challenge, then things would have gone a lot different!"

She nodded. "Exactly."

"She may be right but that's pretty ironic of her! She hasn't done poorly in a single challenge herself, she was an incredibly manipulative and emotionally sharp person, and she managed to wrangle herself out of any danger that was thrown her way! Samus is a bigger threat than Sonic because unlike that laid back hedgehog, she's thirsty for victory..." - Wii Fit Trainer.

"SONIC WAS GREAT! I DO NOT CARE IF HE WAS GOOD, HE WASN'T RUDE TO ME OR MY COOKING AT ALL!" Papyrus posed. "THAT MUST SAY A LOT ABOUT MY COOKING!"

"What, that he doesn't wanna hurt ya feelings?" Dedede heckled. "I guess he was too kind for this competition, bwahahahaha!"

He simply gave a pitying grin at the penguin. "WELL, IF YOU REALLY WISH TO ARGUE THAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS BAD COOKING, THEN SO BE IT!"

Papyrus pointed towards Gordon, causing the chef to jump with confusion.

"GORDON RAMSAY, I CHALLENGE YOU TO A COOK-OFF! WHOEVER PRODUCES THE BEST FOOD WILL BE THE TRIBE'S COOK!" He declared.

"That was a sudden change in-a topic..." Mario commented under his breath.

"It just shows how stupendously bizarre this team really is." Geoffrey laughed. "This will be surely interesting to watch! The Pompous Papyrus is against someone who likely has decades of experience..."

Gordon scratched the back of his head. "You're challenging me to a cook-off? Well then, if it shuts you up."

"GREAT! GORDON WILL COOK HALF THE DAILY RATIONS AND WILL SERVE IT, THEN I WILL COOK THE OTHER HALF OF THE RATIONS AND SERVE IT. THE ONE WHO GETS THE MOST VOTES SHALL BE DECLARED THE SUPERIOR COOK!" Papyrus cackled. "THIS TRULY IS THE ONLY WAY TO PROVE WHO'S THE BEST! AND DON'T WORRY, I'VE BEEN KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR NUMBER ONE SECRETS WHEN COOKING RICE."

"It's not really a secret since I openly told you all about it, but whatever." Gordon grinned. "Finally, something interesting to do that isn't a challenge."

Dedede wrung his hands. "Oh boy, I'm cheerin' for Gordon!"

"Aren't we all?" Geoffrey snarkily added.

"Well, maybe Papyrus improved his cooking through noting down Gordon's finest techniques." Wii Fit Trainer defended.

"Then Papyrus would be just as good as Gordon at best, this is going to be a waste of time..." Samus groaned.

Gordon stood up and went over to the clay pot, filling it with water and pouring in half of the rations' worth of rice and beans. He then dusted off his hands before lighting the fire.

As it was cooking, Papyrus eyeballed the dish in a very odd manner.

"What are you doing?" He asked. "Why are you so close to my dish?"

"I'M CHECKING FOR ANY CHEATING!" He revealed.

"Cheating?!" Queried Gordon. "How can I even cheat in a cook-off?!"

As expected, he was ignored by the skeleton, as he kept checking the dish as Gordon occasionally shook the pot.

After he was finished with his dish, he put it into separate bowls and gave them to each of the contestants, one by one.

Dedede inhaled the meal from the bowl and licked his lips. "Pretty darn good for unflavored rice n' beans! If this chef can pull that off, then is there even a darn point to havin' this bony moron serve us up some food?!"

"I agree, this is incredibly good for unseasoned food!" Josuke said, quickly wolfing it down. "This will be hard to top."

"Say... where is-a Papyrus anyway?" Mario analyzed.

"The clay pot is gone too, I think he went to fill it up." Samus guessed. "Though, he could just fill it up here."

"You don't think he's..." Gordon put his hand over his head. "You don't think he's going to fill it up with SEA water right?"

Geoffrey gagged at the thought of it. "Please, allow me to at LEAST enjoy this meal before I begin vomiting at those thoughts you put in my head..."

"Apologies." He calmly said.

After five or so minutes, Papyrus returned with the clay pot firmly clamped in his bony hands. "I HAVE RETURNED!"

"We can see that." Replied Samus.

"YOU SEE, I HAVE FILLED THIS CLAY POT WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF SEAWATER, AND THE REST IS NORMAL AND FRESHWATER!" He described. "THIS COMBINATION SHALL GIVE MY CUISINE A NICE TASTE, WITHOUT BEING TOO OVER-POWERING."

"Oh boy..." Gordon moaned. "Get it over with and cook it."

Papyrus giddily skipped over to the food and poured it into the pot, and lit the fire once more.

However, instead of occasionally shaking the pot, he decided to spin the pot constantly, without taking a break.

"You don't need to spin it constantly!" Wii Fit Trainer reminded. "Just an occasional stir or shake is fine."

"SILENCE, THIS IS MY STRATEGY!" He grinned maliciously, spinning it even faster. "THIS SHALL MIX THE TWO WATERS A LOT BETTER, WHILST ALSO LETTING THE FOOD AND BOILING WATER GET TO KNOW EACHOTHER!"

After it was done cooking, Papyrus tested it and approved the texture.

"IT'S... PERFECT!" He cried. "MY ART PROJECT IS OFFICIALLY COMPLETE! PLEASE TASTE MY FOOD, FELLOW TRIBE MEMBERS. EVEN GORDON IS ALLOWED!"

He quickly dished it onto each bowl and gave it to his teammates.

After receiving the dish, Dedede inhaled it once more, albeit hesitantly and slowly.

The others also tasted the food.

...

...

"DARN!" Dedede's eyes lit up, his pupils almost forming into hearts from the amount of love he had for what he was tasting. "THIS IS... DELICIOUS! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"

"Wow, this actually works?!" Josuke questioned to himself, beyond shocked. "This is... brilliant!"

Gordon observed everyone showing love for the food, and decided to taste a bit himself.

After chewing a phew times, his eyes widened with awe. Did this skeleton just one-up his cooking on this dish through arbitrary, ineffective methods?! He couldn't believe it.

"It's... *CENSORED* delicious." He couldn't help but smile at it. "I didn't know that such plain rice could be ranked as high as "delicious" from me, but you managed to do it."

"R-REAAAALLY?!" Papyrus jumped up and down, more than giddy, more than happy, he was overwhelmed by such positive criticism, maybe for the first-ever time in his life.

"It's slightly salty, but not TOO salty, that hint of flavor manages to add a lot to your dish. The texture is perfect on the rice and even the beans, despite both of them having different cooking times. Not to mention that it just has this after-taste I can't put my finger on... overall, your dish managed to beat mine and... that's not easy to say considering you have little experience." Gordon explained. "You may have had a bumpy start from the sounds of it, but you may just be a natural at cooking once you take mental notes."

Dedede clasped his hands together and began praying. "PLEASE, YOU COOK INSTEAD! I AM SO SORRY FOR DOUBTIN' YA SKILLS..."

"P-PLEASE, IT'S NOT THAT IMPRESSIVE!?" Papyrus blushed with the amount of praise he was getting from everyone.

Samus folded her arms. "It is impressive. You took a really boring and bland food and made it admittedly tasty."

"You know it's-a good when Samus is praising you!" Mario joked.

Everyone began laughing at the poke as she folded her arms, obviously disgruntled at the joke.

"MY COOKING HAS OFFICIALLY BROUGHT THE ENTIRE TEAM OF NEW LAAU PAMA TOGETHER! EVERYONE WAS LAUGHING AND HAVING FUN AND BEING NICE, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR MY AMAZING COOKING ABILITY! I JUST HOPE GORDON ISN'T MAD AT ME FOR STEALING HIS THUNDER, AS THAT WOULD BE RATHER UNFORTUNATE..." - Papyrus.

Gordon placed his hand on his shoulder. "You can stay in charge of cooking if you really want to. I'm not too *CENSORED* about it, as I may be a chef but I prefer to cook with actual ingredients and equipment. Otherwise, things get basic."

"WOWIE, REALLY?!" Papyrus cheered. "THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. RAMSAY!"

"Papyrus can be annoying and is always unnecessarily loud, but I think that he has a huge passion for cooking that I rarely see in a person, and the fact that he doesn't hesitate to challenge me to a cook-off alone is enough to give me a lot of respect for him. Christ, I didn't know I'd end up considering a skeleton that can't properly eat food as a passionate chef, though here I am, saying exactly that." - Gordon Ramsay.

* * *

**New Haupia: Day 13**

Survivors: Johnny Bravo - Captain Falcon - Squidward Tentacles - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen

For the first time in Survivor, the whole team being together was rather quiet compared to the usual. Many of them assumed that the main reason was due to the loss of Sonic, Mr. Krabs, and Wario, all of which were quite vocal.

The overall morale of the team had taken a hit too. The two teams were in a five-to-eight ratio, with New Haupia being significantly disadvantaged in terms of team member count.

Little Mac probably took the biggest hit out of everyone else, as the fact that his team was now tiny compared to what it was just a few days ago was difficult for him to digest.

Nonetheless, he tried to look on the bright side, as Captain Falcon and Krabs wanted him to yesterday.

"I feel like this team needs to turn around a bit!" Falcon admitted. "If we lose another member from the next challenge, then we'll have half the members of New Laau Pama!"

"Like I'm going to let that happen." Squidward groaned. "We may have lost the two biggest idiots in one night, but that now means that any of us could be eliminated."

"Nah, definitely not me!" Johnny denied. "I ain't goin' until the fat lady sings, and thankfully the fat lady got eliminated a while ago."

"Sheesh, no need to jab at Gruntilda like that. I don't care how ugly she is, you should never call out a woman's weight like that!" Scalded Little Mac.

He raised his eyebrow. "Oh, I was more so talking about Peter."

"...Well, that's even more of a jab." He admitted.

"More like an uppercut!" Squidward chortled. "Anyway, any news on that big hatch thingie?"

Reigen shook his head. "I don't think so, otherwise Captain Falcon would've told us." He then turned to the bounty hunter. "You are checking on it, right? Just in case someone managed to open it and snag that idol."

Suddenly, he began to sweat profusely at the way he had phrased it. "Well, err, I haven't really checked on it since I showed you guys."

"Well then go check!" Squidward commanded.

He gave a shrug before standing up. "Well, if you say so, I'm not sure why we need to keep an eye on it, since it's not like we have the key to opening it..."

Johnny also stood up, cracking his knuckles and posing. "I'm comin' too, just in case you're going to get it and keep it a secret..."

"I said I wouldn't!" He exclaimed. "But okay, whatever, you can come with me."

"Sheesh, it looks like there's another imbecile on this team." Squidward said, glaring at Johnny as he dramatically followed Captain Falcon.

"Weren't they on an alliance at one point?" Reigen questioned.

Little Mac's eyes widened. "We shouldn't let them go, then!"

"Do you really think that it matters if they check it or not?" Squidward said, leaning in. "The fact that Johnny's not here makes things even easier..."

"Uh oh, what are you planning?" Reigen rolled his eyes.

He pointed to the direction the duo had left in before explaining. "Both of them are threats to this team in different ways. Johnny's a good-for-nothing moron whilst Captain Falcon has been a menace to me and the others on Laau Pama for a long time."

"How so?" Little Mac interrogated.

"Captain Falcon and Johnny had an idol, and we only found out that he had gone through Johnny getting betrayed by him and telling the rest of the team! He's a backstabber and a threat to this tribe." He elaborated.

Reigen nodded. "Captain Falcon DID apparently betray Johnny on the first Tribal Council, meaning that this guy seems difficult to trust."

"Well, I like him, but if he could backstab us at any moment, then maybe it's not worth keeping him around." Little Mac nodded. "Though I hope we don't have to vote for him for a while, I just want to win a challenge!"

"Is it settled? Do you all agree to take out that backstabber, and then Johnny?" Squidward queried.

Reigen smirked. "Yeah, let's finish what Samus started."

"If you're both not lying, then I'll also vote for Captain Falcon for the next Tribal Council!" Little Mac optimistically agreed.

As they agreed on the blindside, Johnny and Captain Falcon were wandering through the forest to get to the mysterious hatch.

"Hey, Johnny." Captain Falcon said.

He turned his head, slightly curious. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about not using that idol on you." He apologized. "I really am. I still feel preeeetty bad about it considering that it killed our small alliance."

"Huh?" Johnny raised an eyebrow.

"Y'know, back with Eggman when I promised to use the idol on you but I accidentally didn't? Good thing you weren't voted off, though." Captain Falcon confessed.

Remembering that moment caused the brutish man to turn his head away, folding his arms. "Well, I sure didn't like you lyin' to me back then. You had it out to backstab me since we met!"

"Whoa whoa whoa." He shook his head. "That's not true! Why would I have convinced everyone to vote Eggman instead of you if I really had it out for you? Heck, I should have just voted you along with everyone else instead of doing what I did, if that was the case."

"...Well, maybe you just wanted to toy with me, who knows?!" Johnny argued.

"Come on, I know you don't think of me as someone evil enough to go through all of that just to crush your hope." Captain Falcon sighed. "Look, man, I'm not asking for our alliance to be reunited, I just wanted to say sorry in private whilst I still had the chance. Just remember that I didn't want to betray you, I wanted to help you out!"

A long, awkward silence occurred between the two as Johnny processed everything he had said so far during this conversation.

Eventually, Johnny decided to break the ice. "Well, if you REALLY weren't trying to betray me, then I guess I'll forgive you. Just don't target me again!"

"Really? Thanks, bro!" Captain Falcon grinned. "I bet we'll crush New Laau Pama in this next challenge, whatever it may be. We're the brawniest people on the team alongside Little Mac, so we three can accomplish anything!"

"Mmhmm, I can just imagine the mamas who want a piece of Johnny and his studly bod after seeing me win this challenge." Johnny clasped his hands together.

"You bet! We'll make it out of here alive, I know that." He held out his hand to high-five Johnny, and to his surprise, he instantly accepted the gesture.

Both of them began talking about what would happen if they got out of this show as a winner with gusto.

When they got to the hatch, it was still half-buried in sand and was completely untouched.

"Knew it, don't get why Squidward wanted me to check." Captain Falcon analyzed it. "The note is gone from this, so hopefully any Laau Pama members won't know what this hatch is for, or if it's even for the show."

They soon headed back to the rest of the tribe, both of them were now back to being good friends, albeit an alliance between the two was still in question...

* * *

**Challenge: Day 14**

The survivors wandered onto the beach, a trope that began to get quite tiring and boring for them. Nevertheless, today was rather different than the others.

No big sets of equipment had been put up, in fact, there was no genuine equipment outside of two tables, two chairs, a pen and a sheet of lined paper.

"This is new..." Reigen admitted. "I assume this won't be a very physical challenge."

As they lined up, Alexa appeared, holding two portraits, one of Wario and one of Mr. Krabs.

"T-two eliminations?!" Josuke gawked at the pictures. "How...?"

"In the last council, Wario was eliminated at a four-to-three vote. Unfortunately for Mr. Krabs, he too was eliminated, due to the double-elimination twist that was present that night. This means that we're down two survivors instead of one." He clarified. "Now, moving on from that, it's time to get into today's challenge!"

He pointed towards the two tables, beckoning the survivors to look at them.

"This challenge will be a mental and trivial quiz consisting of ten questions in total! I could ask something from as simple as basic math, to facts about science or history or geography, or I may even ask a question about this show!" Alexa explained. "The order of who goes first and whatnot shall be decided randomly, using the special powers of m-"

"Your phone?" Squidward interrupted with a cocky eyebrow-raise.

The color drained from Alexa's face as he slowly slid his phone back into his back pocket before anyone could see. "N-no! Through the raw power of... alphabetical order!"

Nervously, he shot a grin and pointed to New Laau Pama. "For Laau Pama, the order will be Geoffrey Butler, followed by Gordon Ramsay, Josuke Higashikata, King Dedede, Mario, Papyrus, Samus Aran, and finally Wii Fit Trainer! It will then loop back to Geoffrey and Gordon before the challenge ends."

"I go twice? I don't know a thing about trivia for Christ-sake!" Gordon moaned.

"Don't worry, I imagine the questions won't be too hard." Geoffrey assured. "...Hopefully, that is. They DO need to balance it out for some of the denser people here, after all!"

"HMM, NOBODY ON THIS TEAM IS EXACTLY DENSE, RIGHT?" Papyrus checked. "IT APPEARS NOT..."

Alexa then continued by pointing to New Haupia. "As for you guys, the order will be Arataka Reigen, followed by Captain Falcon, Johnny Bravo, Little Mac, and Squidward Tentacles! Since you guys only have five members, each of you will answer two questions in that pattern. Is everyone on board with me?"

"Sorta." Johnny gave a confused nod. "Do we answer the two questions in our turn or does it rotate back to us?"

"It'll rotate to you." He corrected. "So, allow me to explain how the challenge will go:

1\. A member of Haupia and a member of Laau Pama will go over to a table and sit down.

2\. I will give out a question, and it will be a multiple choice of four answers. In order to answer, you have to press a buzzer underneath your table and give the answer.

3\. If correct, then they will win a point and beat their foe. If wrong, their foe will be able to answer until one of them gets the answer right. A point will be deducted from a team if one of their team members yells out the answer to them, regardless of whether it's right or wrong.

4\. As mentioned, this goes on for ten rounds, and the team with the most points by the end will win immunity!"

The instructions were clear enough for everyone to get, and Alexa decided to start the challenge immediately after the explanation.

"Alright, so the first question will have Arataka Reigen against Geoffrey Butler!" He declared.

Both of them stood up and sat down on the tables, the chairs were made of hard mahogany wood, which made it a bit uncomfortable for them.

**QUESTION ONE** \- Who was the second person eliminated from the show?

A. Peter Griffin

B. Sonic

C. Gruntilda Winkybunion

D. Dr. Eggman

Immediately, Geoffrey Butler slammed the buzzer as soon as he was able to, just slightly quicker than Reigen.

*BZZT*

"Your answer, Geoffrey?" Alexa interrogated.

"C. Gruntilda Winkybunion." He confidently answered.

*DING DING DING*

"One point for Geoffrey and New Laau Pama!"

Next up was Gordon Ramsay and Captain Falcon.

**QUESTION TWO** \- In a human heart, there are several different valves. What is the purpose of these valves?

A. To prevent blood from flowing backward.

B. To trap any potential diseases that flow through the blood.

C. To carry out a gaseous exchange.

D. No reason, just for some sweet sweet aesthetic.

Both of them thought about it for five seconds before Captain Falcon quickly knew which one it was and hit his buzzer first.

*BZZT*

"Your answer, Captain Falcon?"

"A. It's definitely to prevent a backflow of blood." He answered.

*DING DING DING*

"One point for Captain Falcon and New Haupia!"

"Wait... gaseous exchange is respiration, what the Hell was I even thinking about?!" Gordon scalded himself.

Next up was Josuke Higashikata and Johnny Bravo.

**QUESTION THREE** \- SOS is a common distress signal used in morse code. What is the morse code message for it?

A - Dash-dash-dash. Dot-dot-dot. Dash-dash-dash.

B - Dot-dot-dot. Dash-dash-dash. Dot-dot-dot.

C - Dot-dot-dot. Dash-dash-dash. Dot-dot-dot. Dash-dash-dash.

D - Dash-dash-dash. Dot-dot-dot. Dot-dot-dot.

"Err, why are those answers all the same?" Johnny questioned.

"They aren't you idiot!" Insulted Squidward.

He scratched his head as Josuke was having a dilemma. He knew that it couldn't be C since that would mean it has four letters, and D would mean that the middle and last letters of SOS is the same.

Eventually, Josuke built up the courage to hit the buzzer before Johnny did.

*BZZT*

"Your answer, Josuke?"

"Is it A?" He finally responded.

*BZZZZZ*

The long low-pitched buzzing noise meant that Josuke was wrong, causing him and his team to get nervous.

"Wait, is it my go already?" Johnny scratched his head. "Err, I'm too handsome for quizzes, I'll pass!"

"NO YOU IDIOT!" Squidward stomped his feet on the ground.

Alexa raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Wait, no, I remember! Bravo is my last name, so it has to be B for Bravo!" Johnny concluded.

...

*DING DING DING*

"WHAT?!" Josuke spat.

"That wasn't the right way of figuring it out, but Johnny was right!" Alexa announced. "Two points for New Haupia in total, with one point for New Laau Pama!"

Next up was King Dedede and Little Mac.

**QUESTION FOUR** \- At the end of a sword handle is a shape, usually a circle, what is this part of the sword called?

A - Hilt

B - Blade

C - Scabbard

D - Pommel

"Okay so, a hilt is definitely not it, that's the whole handle I think... the blade is, well, the blade. That leaves the scabbard and the pomme-"

*BZZT*

"Your answer, King Dedede?"

Little Mac gulped as he looked at the overly-cocky penguin, who wrung his hands before bellowing out. "Definitely a scabbard, so C!"

*BZZZZZ*

"DAMN IT!" He cursed himself in response.

As for Little Mac, he gave a smile of satisfaction as the answer became clear to him thanks to Dedede's mistake.

"Is it D: the pommel?" He said.

*DING DING DING*

"DAMN IT AGAIN!" Dedede cursed once more as the boxer rose his fist into the air, cheering.

"Little Mac scores the third point for New Haupia, better start catching up, New Laau Pama!"

Next up was Mario and Squidward Tentacles.

**QUESTION FIVE** \- Which one of these foods have no seeds in them?

A - Cucumber

B - Asparagus

C - Tomato

D - Apple

"You mean sea cucumber, right? They're an animal, not a food." Squidward corrected.

"There's also a food called a cucumber, which isn't sentient." Alexa informed. "Maybe I shouldn't have given this question to a sea creature..."

Before Squidward could desperately hit the buzzer to answer with cucumber, Mario had already pressed it.

*BZZT*

"Your answer, Mario?"

"B, asparagus!" He answered.

*DING DING DING*

"Mario gets it right! That's two points for New Laau Pama, with three for New Haupia."

"Who's the idiot now, slimy?" Boasted Johnny.

"You." Squidward bluntly said, folding his arms.

Next up was Papyrus, and for the second time, Arataka Reigen.

**QUESTION SIX** \- What temperature is absolute zero?

A - -272

B - -274

C - -276

D - -278

"AHA! A COLD QUESTION, THAT SHOULD MAKE THINGS EASY FOR ME, A SKELETON WHO LIVES IN SNOWDIN!" Papyrus proclaimed. "MEANWHILE, MY FOE IS TOO FAMILIAR WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES OF HIS EARTHLY ENVIRONMENT TO GET THIS QUESTION RIGH-"

*BZZT*

"Your answer, Reigen?"

"Err, it's C, right?" He raised an eyebrow. "I could've sworn it's that!"

*DING DING DING*

"Reigen gets it right! Four points for New Haupia, and two points for New Laau Pama!"

Papyrus had his eyes pop out with shock.

"W-WELL, A LUCKY GUESS, THAT WAS!" He quivered before slowly walking away and back into his team.

Next up was Samus Aran, and for the second time, Captain Falcon.

**QUESTION SEVEN** \- In total, how many contestants to the nearest hundred had signed up to partake in Survivor: Crossover? (BONUS POINT FOR THE EXACT NUMBER)

A - 100

B - 200

C - 300

D - 400

"A bonus point?" Captain Falcon queried, before slamming his buzzer. He had a faint idea of the answer in his head, but he was more so fixated on the bonus point.

*BZZT*

"Your answer, Captain Falcon?"

Samus looked disappointed in herself, as she let her foe hit the buzzer before she could. Though, in her defense, she didn't bother paying attention to it before she was sent to this island.

"It's A! For the bonus question, it's one-hundred and twenty-two!" He guessed.

*DING DING DING*

*BZZZZZ*

Alexa gave a wince of pity as he shook his head. "You're correct on the first point, giving your team five points in total, but the specific number was actually one-hundred and twenty-three."

"Darn it!" He sighed. "Well, at least we just need to win one more point and we'll win!"

"Survivors, if New Haupia wins any of the final questions, then they will win the challenge at six points automatically, as it will be impossible for New Haupia to catch up, and there are also no more bonus questions." Alexa revealed.

Next up was Wii Fit Trainer, and for the second time, Johnny.

**QUESTION EIGHT** \- How many feet are there in a mile?"

A - 4580

B - 4790

C - 5000

D - 5280

Before Johnny could even think, Wii Fit Trainer slammed the buzzer.

"Is it D?" She asked. "I'm not too sure as I'm more accustomed to kilometers, but hopefully I'm right, I don't want my team to lose just yet!"

...

...

*DING DING DING*

"Fortunately, New Laau Pama gets their third point thanks to Wii Fit Trainer's sharp memory!"

Next up was Geoffrey Butler, and for the second time, Little Mac.

**QUESTION NINE** \- Which of these areas is not an official American state?

A - North Dakota

B - Guam

C - Hawaii

D - Alaska

Geoffrey rubbed his chin. "Well, it's certainly not Hawaii or Alaska, I think it's not North Dakota eith-"

"Sorry, Geoff..." Little Mac said, hitting the buzzer.

*BZZT*

"Your answer, Little Mac?"

"...But I know a lot more about America than some British dude!" He gave a playful yet cocky wink. "The answer is B, Guam is not a state!"

...

...

...

*DING DING DING*

"And, capping off this challenge with at the ninth question, Little Mac scores the final point for New Haupia, which means that they've won the challenge!" Alexa declared.

All of New Haupia cheered to one another, they finally got themselves a win after three unfortunate losses, and it sure felt satisfying.

New Laau Pama was especially disappointed to have their streak broken, and it was especially evident on their faces, riddled with anguish.

"Well, congratulations!" He smirked. "You guys win yourselves immunity, whilst New Laau Pama will be up for elimination tonight!"

"NOOOO! NOT AGAIN!" Papyrus cried. "IT WAS SO PEACEFUL WITHOUT LOSING ONE OF OUR PRECIOUS, LOYAL MEMBERS UNTIL YOU... YOU RASCALS DECIDED TO BEAT US!"

"Who knew five pipsqueaks had us beat in terms of random trivia! This is all just a load of garbage!" Dedede whined. "I ain't going to be eliminated for this."

Josuke pouted angrily. "Neither am I!"

"The fact that you're so not used to this loss makes it ALL the more satisfying..." Squidward chortled, angering many of them.

"Now, there's nothing else important I want to say, so scram back to your tribes! Congratulations on your first victory in a while though, New Haupia." He waved goodbye as they went back to their tribes.

* * *

**New Laau Pama: Day 14**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Josuke Higashikata - Wii Fit Trainer - Geoffrey Butler - Gordon Ramsay - King Dedede

"Well, this-a sucks." Mario confessed.

"Ya think?!" Dedede groaned with bitter sarcasm. "A king like me deserves better than this!"

"Don't we all?" Wii Fit Trainer agreed. "Now, let's not split into two groups, let's discuss who to eliminate here and now!"

Papyrus nodded. "A GREAT STRATEGY! HMMM... HOW DO WE GO ABOUT DOING THIS?"

"With some nominations." Responded Samus. "Though, I don't have many ideas."

"That's-a new!" Mario chimed in.

"Now that we're close to the merge, it's best if I drift there instead of trying to rile up the team to vote off who I want, otherwise things may not end as well as they would have back when our team was filled with weaklings. These people may not be strong, but they're certainly a lot harder to eliminate than the likes of Peter." - Samus.

Geoffrey raised his hand. "Would you all mind if I gave a suggestion?"

"As long as it ain't me, go right ahead!" Accepted Dedede.

He gave a quick and precise nod before pointing to Papyrus. "I feel like the Pompous Papyrus has been rather lacking."

"WHAT?!" The skeleton's eyes popped out with terror. "M-ME OF ALL PEOPLE?! I AM NOT LACKING!"

"You haven't been very useful to this team for a good while, and your only benefit is the occasional cooking, but that's just my opinion. A simple butler like me wouldn't try to push it more than that!" He stated.

"IT SAYS A LOT THAT I HAVE ONLY BEEN THREATENED THIS FAR INTO THE COMPETITION! IT MEANS THAT I HAVE BEEN A GREAT SURVIVOR THUS FAR, AND I SHALL NOT CRUMBLE TO SOME... SOME OPINION WITH NO VALUE! I HAVE THE DETERMINATION TO MAKE IT TO THE VERY END, IF NOT WIN!" - Papyrus.

Josuke shook his head. "I don't think Papyrus is the right choice."

"How come, if you don't mind asking?" Geoffrey challenged.

He gave a shrug. "I dunno, it just feels like we have bigger problems on our hands than some goofy pseudo-chef skeleton. Heck, I know I probably shouldn't make enemies, but Gordon has also been lacking from what I've seen, and he doesn't really have the confidence of Papyrus."

"Hey! Just because I don't scream doesn't mean I lack confidence." Gordon folded his arms. "In my honest opinion, Geoffrey is also lacking, and doesn't really do much to contribute to this team."

"I-I BEG YOUR PARDON?!" Exclaimed Geoffrey. "Apologies for the outburst, but I have done nothing but run around for you all since day one! You should have seen me."

"C'mon, fetchin' me some water isn't difficult." Dedede undermined his labor. "You're a butler anyway, I ain't gonna reward you for doing ya job!"

Geoffrey shook his head. "I am awfully wounded at your statement, King Dedede, and I have no other choice than to argue that you're underexaggerating my contributions! Though, if you must eliminate me to keep the team moving forward, then I shall accept an elimination."

"Wait, what?!" Mario gawked. "Nobody would-a give up their chance for victory that easily, something is-a wrong..."

"I understand your skepticism, Mario, but allow me to clarify a little bit." He cleared his throat. "I only joined this competition to get a vacation away from the Banks family, the family that I serve for. They lack such respect that I'd rather be crammed over to an island with people I haven't met before, even if I do end up running around for them too!"

Josuke pouted. "So you want us to vote for you?"

"Not exactly, but I'm happy with a whole two weeks off from that family, I'm now a lot more refreshed to get back into the job!" He smiled. "I'm not asking you to vote me, but I won't fight back or get anywhere near mad if you choose to. I've had my laugh and fun, and I've watched some of the more arrogant people get what they deserve, so I think I'm ready to go!"

"Wow... that's, admittedly respectful, I ain't gonna lie on that one!" Dedede confessed.

"Yeah, I agree." Gordon nodded.

Geoffrey held up his finger. "JUST ONE CONDITION!"

"OH?" Papyrus rubbed his chin. "ANYTHING FOR SOMEONE WILLING TO DO SUCH A SACRIFICE FOR THE GREATER GOOD!"

"I want you to take back what you said about my "lack of contribution", Gordon." He commanded.

Gordon gave a groan. "Why?"

"Just do it!" Wii Fit Trainer yammered. "I'd give him full respect if I was you, he's making things so much easier for us!"

It took him a small while, but the chef finally decided to man up and agree. "Fine, I admit it, you've probably ran around for this team a lot more than the others."

"Good good!" He gave a wholesome smile. "Now, let's get this over with, shall we?"

"Are you sure? This is your final chance to defend yourself." Wii Fit Trainer warned.

Little time passed before he gave two thumbs up with no hesitation. "I am perfectly okay with this outcome, Mrs. Fit Trainer."

"Well, if you say so." She gave a wholesome look of joy on her face. "Just remember that I don't think you'll get out of this easily if you do have some trick up your sleeve."

He laughed. "Don't worry, I don't have a single trick up my sleeve, or at least no tricks that will make life much worse for you people. Now then, it's time we get going for real!"

With gusto, Geoffrey stood up from his chair, admitting defeat on this show, and began walking down to Tribal Council. Soon, the others followed suit, some were still a little bit skeptical on whether he was genuinely going to let himself be eliminated, whilst others believed him, and respected him a lot more for allowing them to move forward with little conflict.

Before entering Tribal Council, however, Geoffrey clutched the mirror-shaped idol in his pocket, grinning...

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 14**

The survivors of New Laau Pama were almost unfamiliar with the tribe, but they were quickly reminded of the dread that they felt upon entering, from the mysterious and warm hues of the dim lighting to the ominous atmosphere that had been created due to it being in the middle of the night.

Upon sitting down on their seats, Alexa walked over, blowing his nose on a small white handkerchief, his eyes were watery, red, and sore.

"Hey uhh... survivors." He sneezed into his cloth once more, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'm not feeling the best right now! An illness hit me like a truck... so let's get this thing over with."

"Alexa, is it alright if I ask you a question for once?" Geoffrey raised an eyebrow.

He gave a nod before sneezing into his handkerchief for the third time in the minute. "Gah, go ahead, Geoffrey..."

"Ah, well, you see." He took out his mirror idol. "I would like to give this idol to somebody on my team, is it alright if I make the choice now, whilst you sit back and relax a little bit?"

"Sure, just make it quick, this place is freezing." Alexa murmured, his voice weak and almost raspy.

The other survivors had their jaws drop in surprise at this reveal. Geoffrey had an idol, and he was going to give it away instead of using it to help himself out of the situation. This caused everyone who had doubted him initially to feel incredibly bad, and they felt obligated to shower him with silent respect.

"Now, who should I give it to..." He looked at the seven options. "Samus Aran, Pompous Papyrus, King Dedede, Gordon Ramsay, Josuke Higashikata, Wii Fit Trainer, and Mario."

"PICK ME!" Papyrus pleaded. "I FEEL LIKE I DESERVE A SMALL ADVANTAGE!"

"Ahem, you won't be able to get it this easily, you have to convince me to give it to you." He waved his finger back and forth, denying the skeleton of an easy win.

Dedede gave an arrogant point towards himself. "You wouldn't wanna disrespect a king by denying him of an idol, right?!"

"Who cares if you're a king? Give it to me, I cooked most of your bloody dinners." Suggested Gordon.

"I was on your team originally, and you deemed me safe when you had that immunity back in the dodgeball challenge!" Josuke reminded. "C'mon, I gotta be a consideration at least!"

"Oh boy..." Geoffrey gulped.

Wii Fit Trainer then smiled. "Take your time!"

"This was a lot harder than I thought." He admitted. "Hmm, here's an idea!"

He handed the idol to Alexa. "You can choose who gets the idol, randomly, if that wouldn't be too much hassle."

"Sure." He sniffed before opening his phone. "Let's randomize it...!"

Alexa opened a randomizer app and inserted the names of the seven survivors before pressing the "enter" button.

...

"The one obtaining the idol is... ACHOO!" He sneezed. "I mean err, Wii Fit Trainer!"

"R-really?" Her eyes widened with shock and joy. "That was... surprisingly lucky, I'll take it!"

She stood up and walked over to Alexa, nabbing the idol and holding it tightly.

"I might as well spice things up and give it away instead of getting eliminated and losing the idol!" Geoffrey explained. "Enjoy your idol."

"Wow, you seem... *SNIFF*, really accepting of your elimination." Alexa admitted, followed by a sneeze. "Remember survivors, try to have his mindset for when you get eliminated! AAACHOOOO! C-CAST YOUR V-VOTES!"

Geoffrey Butler: Well, this was a good run! I finally got my break and I'm ready to return to get my paycheck! (Geoffrey Butler)

Mario: I'm-a so glad that things didn't get too-a violent, so I have a lot of-a respect for Geoffrey for-a sacrificing himself, even if he didn't directly call it a sacrifice! (Geoffrey Butler)

Wii Fit Trainer: I'm glad I got an idol out of this, but I sort of feel bad. Sure he admitted defeat with generous open arms but... he probably wouldn't have suggested it if nobody brought the idea of voting him up. (Geoffrey Butler)

Gordon Ramsay: I have mad respect for him, I personally haven't seen him contribute much to this team both in and out of challenges, but saving our skin like this whilst also throwing away an idol willy-nilly is something that will probably be a one-in-a-million thing. (Geoffrey Butler)

"Survivors, I will now ACCHOOOO! Read out the *SNIFF* votes!" Alexa croakily announced.

***VOTING TIME***

First vote goes to Geoffrey Butler. One vote Geoffrey.

Second vote goes to-ACHOO! I mean err, Geoffrey Butler. Two votes Geoffrey.

Third vote goes to Geoffrey Butler. Three votes Geoffrey.

Fourth vote goes to Geoffrey Butler. That's four votes, Geoffrey.

"Finally, eliminated with eight votes, is Geoffrey Butler!" Alexa announced. "No point in *SNIFF* reading all of it out. Anyway, Geoffrey, hand me your torch, your time in Survivor is done."

With a surprising amount of optimism, he sprung from his seat, grabbing his idol, and marched over to Alexa before carefully passing the torch.

"Goodbye, everyone!" He waved.

Almost everyone waved back at him, all wearing smiles.

"Please leave Survivor Crossover, Mr. Butler." Alexa peacefully demanded.

With a spring in his step, Geoffrey walked down the dark walkway, fully accepting his elimination.

"Geoffrey Butler definitely had class! He was polite, although a little bit witty, and had a very careful approach to this whole game. It's a shame that he admitted defeat so early, from the looks of it, since I bet he could have gotten really far if he just put his mind to it. Goodnight New Laau Pama, and try not to catch up to New Haupia in members..."

* * *

Geoffrey's Last Words: "Survivor wasn't a very high-class experience, but it was certainly an experience that I'll remember! I may be just a boring old butler, but I think that the others overall deserved to stay over me, so I wasn't going to argue with Gordon when he suggested to eliminate me. Goodbye Survivor, hello again Banks family..."

* * *

**VOTES**

Geoffrey's Voters: Geoffrey Butler. Mario. Wii Fit Trainer. Gordon Ramsay. Samus. Papyrus. King Dedede. Josuke Higashikata.

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Wario. (USED)

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon. (USED)

Idol of Mirroring - Geoffrey Butler.

Idol of ? - Unknown

The ? Idol - Unknown

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

New Laau Pama (Green Team)

\- Mario

\- Papyrus

\- Samus Aran

\- Josuke Higashikata

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Gordon Ramsay

\- King Dedede

New Haupia (White Team)

\- Johnny Bravo

\- Captain Falcon

\- Squidward Tentacles

\- Little Mac

\- Arataka Reigen


	11. Episode 8 - Ills Bring Thrills!

Episode 8: Ills bring Thrills.

**New Haupia: Day 15**

Survivors: Johnny Bravo - Captain Falcon - Squidward Tentacles - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen

"I SWEAR, I AM A PSYCHIC!" Reigen declared. "I TOLD YOU ALL THAT WARIO GETTING ELIMINATED WOULD RESULT IN SOMETHING WORSE, AND NOT ONLY DID WE LOST SONIC, BUT WE LOST MR. KRABS FROM IT!"

"Well, that was just a coincidence!" Argued Squidward. "I'll never believe a shabby psychic like you, no matter how many predictions you get right!"

"Damn, he's good... never believing someone who claims they're a psychic no matter what is an unremarkable strategy..." - Arataka Reigen.

"No matter, I shall make a prediction to convince everyone else!" He revealed.

Captain Falcon groaned. "Yeah, please end this argument already. You two have been at it for about ten minutes now."

Reigen gave a pose of confidence before pointing to Squidward. "The next elimination shall be a BLINDSIDE!"

"O-on this team?! NOBODY VOTE ME, PLEAAAASE!" Johnny dropped to his knees, begging for absolute mercy. "I DON'T WANT NO BLINDSIDE!"

He rolled his eyes. "Relax! Just because I say it's a blindside, doesn't mean it'll be on this team!"

"Ah, going extra vague to try and make it more likely, eh?" Squidward raised an eyebrow.

"QUIET!" Reigen then cleared his throat, his voice returning to normal. "This wager shall decide that I'm a psychic, and if anyone is interested enough in my abilities, I live in Seasoning City in Japan, and my agency is known as the "Spirits and Such Consultation Office"! If any of you have any spirits and curses you need lifting from you or exorcising, then I have several deals and combos for you! Such things includ-"

Squidward snapped at him. "NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR SHILL BUSINESS!"

"Tsk, fine. Just remember that location if you can." Reigen admitted defeat. "Do any of you have any evil spirits haunting you, a friend, or your personal and humble abode?"

"Not really." Little Mac shook his head. "Unless you count misery as a spirit. We still have two fewer members than the others!"

"Don't worry about that." He assured. "If we can win with a three-man disadvantage, then we can certainly win with a two-man disadvantage!"

He gave a nod of relief. "Yeah, you're right! I need to stop letting this game damage my spirits."

"Damaging spirits, you say?" Reigen's ears perked up.

Captain Falcon shook his head. "Don't even think about it, bro."

"Fine..." He admitted defeat yet again.

"You really think that we could lose with me on your team?!" Johnny queried before chuckling. "Boy oh boy, do you make me laugh!"

"Weren't you on the losing team four times?" Captain Falcon interrogated.

"Err, it never was my fault! After all, I scored one point last challenge, so you know that I'm useful and an ASSET!" He declared with a handsome pose. "I'm a studly dreamboat of a man, so any wins that aren't thrown at me are either rigged or someone else's fault!"

"How can you say stuff like that out loud and think nothing of it?" Said Little Mac, confusion littered in his voice.

Johnny shrugged. "Because it's true?"

"Forget it." He quickly replied. "I hope they voted off a really important member of the team."

"They got some fat to trim as a team, so I don't expect anyone too valuable." Captain Falcon remarked. "But with Samus on that team, you never know if it will be a weakling or a strong player."

"Oh, Johnny and Falcon, isn't it time you check on that hatch again?" Squidward reminded, winking to Reigen and Little Mac.

He nodded. "Yeah but, do we seriously have to do this EVERY time? First two days ago, then yesterday, now today! It's like you're trying to turn this into a tradition or something, but fine."

As Captain Falcon went to leave, he turned to Johnny. "Are you coming?"

"Err, yeah." Johnny gave a thumbs up, sprinting off.

When both of them left the area, Squidward turned to the two remaining survivors in the area. "Okay, so remember, we're voting off Captain Falcon the next time we lose!"

"I know, I know." Reigen agreed. "Though wouldn't it be more useful for us to get rid of Johnny?"

"Johnny is our cushion for if we lose after voting off Captain Falcon!" He denied.

"Oh boy, I'm so excited to see his face when I finally get Captain Falcon off! It's been my goal ever since the first elimination, and the fact that I'll finally see him get eliminated will bring me endless joy..." - Squidward Tentacles.

Little Mac raised a shoulder. "I don't know, he really doesn't seem like the backstabber type. Are you really going to trust the fact that Johnny was genuinely betrayed by him?"

Reigen and Squidward both knew well that it was an exaggeration, and that Captain Falcon was literally the reason for Johnny staying in the first place. Despite this, both decided to lie to get what they wanted.

"It's true!" Reigen agreed. "Trust us, Mac."

"Well, it'll be hard for me to forgive you both if you're lying or wrong, but I better take your word for it." He believed them.

"I just hate going against Captain Falcon. He tried hard to make me feel better about everything and it worked pretty well, so I really don't get how the same person who raised my morale was also the same person who backstabbed Johnny. I bet their conversations to and from the hatch are pretty awkward considering one betrayed the other." - Little Mac.

Meanwhile, whilst they were discussing this double-cross, Johnny was midway through telling Captain Falcon a true story about himself.

"...Then, when the battery ran out, I realized, I had my underwear on the WHOLE time!" He revealed before giving hearty laughter.

Captain Falcon raised his eyebrow. "I see? It's a pretty funny story but how did you manage to do that?"

"Ah, well, y'know how it is with washing your hair in the toilet." Johnny nudged his friend's arm with his elbow.

"...No, I don't." He admitted.

Once more, they approached the hatch, exactly the same as it was yesterday.

"Eeeeyup, another waste of time." He groaned. "At least I got company when doing this meaningless stuff."

"Hey Cap?" Johnny got his attention.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe it's time we form an alliance again!" He suggested.

Captain Falcon gave a grin. "Hell yeah! That sounds great."

* * *

**New Laau Pama: Day 15**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Josuke Higashikata - Wii Fit Trainer - Gordon Ramsay - King Dedede

"GHAAAAAAAA!" A blood-curdling scream shot through the ears of the other survivors, causing them to snap their heads toward the shelter. Samus especially put herself on guard in case it was something otherworldly.

What they saw was Papyrus, who had an unpleasantly large snake latching onto his arm.

"GET THIS SCALY RODENT OFF OF ME AT ONCE!" Papyrus squealed. "MY ARM IS NOT A CHEW TOY FOR THIS CREATURE!"

He began running around, screaming because of the snake's locked jaw slowly getting tighter.

"CRAZY DIAMOND!" Josuke called out, summoning his stand.

Using the power of his spirit, he grabbed the snake and yanked it off of the panicking skeleton's arm, causing it to let go immediately.

"Phew..." Papyrus sighed with relief, but as he went to wipe his skull...

"GHAAAAAAAA!" He screamed once more. "MY ARM IS GONE!"

The skeleton chased after the snake, which was slithering away at an impressive speed. He chased it around in circles for a small bit as it managed to wriggle itself out of any situation, causing Papyrus to become more and more furious as he was chasing the thieving snake.

"BWAAAHAHAHA!" Dedede laughed. "SORRY, I CAN'T HELP IT! IT'S HILARIOUS TO SEE A SNAKE OUTRUN HIM!"

"I can reattach the arm myself if there's an issue, but I haven't seen a snake until now, so they must be pretty rare." Josuke theorized, watching Papyrus disappear into the trees to fetch his arm back.

"So... are we going to help him?" Wii Fit Trainer asked.

"Pssh, he'll be fine." Gordon shrugged. "It's not like the snake is able to poison a skeleton."

"Fetching his arm, I mean." She reminded. "He seems to be struggling."

All of a sudden, they heard a sudden yet triumphant. "HAHAAAA! TAKE THAT, YOU FILTHY SPAGHETTI-LIKE ANIMAL!"

They see Papyrus return, joyous over retrieving his arm, yet annoyed over having to do the annoying task.

"A SKELETON LIKE ME NEVER GETS A BREAK! NOT ONLY DID I HAVE TO PUT UP WITH PEOPLE CONSTANTLY BERATING MY COOKING, TO WHICH THEY NOW ENJOY, BUT EVEN THE WILDLIFE IN THIS ISLAND ARE UNPLEASANT! AT LEAST ASK THE GREAT PAPYRUS FOR THE ARM, THEN I WOULD HAVE LENT YOU A HAND, BUT NOT LITERALLY, AS I NEED THIS ARM TO WIN THE SHOW!" - Papyrus.

"Is your arm hurt?" Mario asked, observing it. "Oh-a no! You have two little holes right-a there."

"NYEH!?" Papyrus looked to where the plumber was pointing before gasping. "NOOO! MY PRECIOUS ARM... JOSUKE, PLEASE FIX IT!"

He threw the arm over to Josuke, causing the teenager's stand to grab and heal it.

Unfortunately, nothing happened to it when he healed it, the holes were still there.

"Err..." Josuke gulped. "You ARE a living thing, right?"

"He likely is considering he can produce sweat and breathe, not to mention that he has proper eyes." Samus pointed out.

"GAH! I just noticed that." Wii Fit Trainer shivered at the realization. "That... isn't right."

"Oh *CENSORED* me, I can't unsee it." Gordon looked down at the ground, attempting to blot the thought out of his head.

Papyrus folded his arms. "OH COME ON! YOU SHALL GET USED TO IT WITH TIME... I'M NOT A HUMAN SKELETON, I'M A SKELETON SKELETON! BESIDES THAT, HOW COME THE BOY IS UNABLE TO HEAL SUCH A WOUND IF I REALLY AM A LIVING ORGANISM, BY HIS GHOST'S LOGIC?"

"Well, you need to attach the arm back onto yourself, first." Assumed Samus.

"Catch!" Josuke called out, throwing his arm back to him.

"THIS IS... EMBARASSING, TO SAY THE LEAST." He sighed, slotting the arm into his shoulder guard, a gruesome and loud click erupted from his shoulder as it connected back on. "I SWEAR, THIS RARELY HAPPENS! JUST DON'T TUG AT THE THING TIGHTLY BITING MY ARM AGAIN, PLEASE."

The purple-dressed stand user walked on over to him with his stand trailing behind him, still invisible to everyone else.

"Don't worry." He assured. "I make sure I won't do that again, but I bet I won't have to."

As he healed the wound, Papyrus began jumping for joy. "HUZZAH! MY ARM IS SAVED ONCE AGAIN BY THE POWER OF GHOST MAGIC."

"Never thought I'd hear that sentence outside of an insane asylum. Here I am though, and the sentence is entirely true, to add fuel to the bloody fire." Gordon chuckled. "Anyway, where'd that snake go?"

"LITTLE FIEND SCURRIED OFF AFTER I YANKED MY ARM FROM IT!" Papyrus said profoundly.

"Man, this is like some sort of comedy club! I ain't ever laughed so hard 'til I saw a snake runnin' off with that bonehead's arm!" Dedede wheezed.

Samus nodded with a slight grin. "It was definitely amusing, to say the least."

Mario then glanced behind him, from the corner of his eye was another snake. No, it was the exact same snake from before.

The plumber gasped as the snake jumped for him, digging its fangs into the plumber's thick white gloves, luckily avoiding any skin.

"WAAAAHAHAHA!" Mario cried with panic. "IT'S-A GOT ME!"

Samus cracked a small snicker as Dedede wheezed again, the penguin had keeled over from the laughter weakening him.

"IT'S-A NOT FUNNY!" He scalded.

Once again, Josuke summoned his stand Crazy Diamond, and this time the stand began punching the snake.

"DOOOORARARARARARAAAA!" The stand bellowed, causing the snake to fly off into a nearby tree, injured but alive.

Suddenly, the wounds on the snake slowly faded as it was healed back to full health, allowing it to escape from the tribe out of fear.

"Looks like the message got through to it." Remarked Samus.

"Phew, it didn't-a get my skin, luckily." Mario wiped the sweat from his brow with solace.

"Man, the first snake we find out here and it's-a violent! First, it tries to-a steal the arm of Papyrus and-a run off, then it tries to-a bite my finger off. Come on!" - Mario.

* * *

**Office: Night 15**

"Alrighty pard'ner. I knew you'd get ill out here." A tall, muscular man grinned, coupled with a thick Texan accent. "Bein' out at an island for so long would make any old person ill. Surprised none of them survivor fellas haven't gotten ill yet."

"Yeah... just follow the script I gave you and you'll be fine," Alexa said, wrapped in a thick blanket and sipping coffee from a mug. "My illness will hopefully clear up in a few days."

He chuckled. "A few days? The virus you described seems like those "come-and-go" viruses. Wouldn't be surprised if you felt as lean as a carrot the next day!"

"Maybe, but that's just a worst-case scenario." He shrugged. "Anyway, take this frame."

Alexa handed over a large portrait of Geoffrey Butler to the substitutional host.

"Darn, I didn't know he'd be gettin' eliminated so soon." The man confessed. "Well, I'll get myself to sleep so I can host the challenge in the morn'. I won't let ya down!"

He walked off as Alexa laid back in his chair, feeling awful.

* * *

**Challenge: Day 16**

The survivors were brought into the Rockies, directly in the middle of the island. Much like the other challenge that took place here, it was a breath of fresh air to the remaining survivors, who were usually used to the gritty sands of the coast.

"That's strange, Alexa doesn't appear to be around here. You think he got eliminated?" Johnny questioned.

"No, you moron!" Squidward shook his head with disbelief. "How is that your FIRST assumption?!"

"Alexa seemed quite ill last council." Said Samus. "I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't in for a few days due to the illness."

Suddenly, from behind a rock emerged a tall, broad-shouldered man with Geoffrey Butler's portrait

"Howdy." He greeted. "Y'all may be wondering why I'm here. Well, your host has been experiencin' a heavy-duty illness. Fella can't even stand up without shiverin' his boots off."

His voice was soft, though it felt as if there were some form of sinister undertone in his voice, to which many survivors caught on to.

"So I see you're the replacement?" Assumed Mario.

He gave a clap with his massive hands before rubbing them together. "Exactly! Y'all are just as sharp as you usually are, but this is a challenge that'll make you wish that your senses were as weak as Alexa is right now. To introduce myself, I'm Don McGlower, famous among America for handling the heat of two Carolina Reapers at once without any milk."

"Congratulations on such an achievement! Though incredibly hot chili peppers do not do good on the human body when eaten excessively, although spice in a relatively normal quantity can boost your metabolism!" Wii Fit Trainer explained.

"Thanks for the fact there, sweetheart," Don said, semi-sarcastically as he shuffled over to a table with its contents covered in a cloth.

"I just happen to know Alexa, and the fact that the only challenge that he calls me in for involves my specialty is surely an amazing coincidence." He smiled.

Squidward gulped. "Please don't be those peppers..."

"What is that specialty?" He rhetorically asked. "Well..."

"DON'T BE THOSE PEPPERS!" The marine creature repeated over and over again.

"...I already implied it to y'all, it's those darn spicy Carolina Reapers." He gave a sadistic glare as he whipped the cloth from over the table, revealing ten Carolina Reaper peppers. "Before I explain the challenge, I think it's time we all pay a tribute to Geoffrey Butler."

Don grabbed a portrait leaning against the table and away from the view of the others, holding it up high.

"Whilst his elimination hasn't been broadcasted to TV yet, he must have been one admirable ally." He grinned. "You should all give yourselves a pat on the back, you're the final dozen after all! Over fifteen days of back-to-back torture is certainly impressive."

"Geoffrey got out?!" Little Mac's fists unclenched with shock. "I didn't even notice him being gone, I was too confused over Alexa not being there!"

The substitute host whizzed the portrait to a staff member as he clasped his hands together once more. "Now, onto this challenge! Five members from each team will be forced to eat one of these admirably hot peppers, they are SOME peppers, I'll have you know. From their off-putting warty look, to them being the world's hottest pepper as of now. I may have eaten two without any milk, but it sure wasn't easy, it was beyond torture for one."

"Gh! The only food that I don't like is food that harms ya for eatin' it!" Dedede scoffed.

"It takes fifteen minutes for the pain to subside, and if one of the people on your team manages to go the whole experience without a glass of this delicious, relieving, creamy milk, then you earn a point for your team. Whoever has the most points by the end will win chili flakes, funnily enough." Don couldn't help but laugh at the irony. "If there's a tie, then I was told to settle things with one fact about the Carolina Reaper. I admit it's a lukewarm tiebreaker, but hopefully, none of y'all will tie."

Papyrus gave a chuckle. "GAAAHAHAHA! THE GREAT PAPYRUS FINALLY HAS A CHALLENGE THAT FITS HIS STYL-"

"Hang on there, Mr. Bones." Don interrupted him. "You'll be automatically sittin' out, as it hasn't been proven that you have the capabilities of feelin' the heat."

"WHAAAT! WELL, THAT IS... FAIR ENOUGH." He sighed. "PAPYRUS IS TOO GOOD FOR THIS CHALLENGE!"

McGlower then continued. "Another one who'll be sittin' out will be King Dedede, as he has the ability to eat things whole with little difficulty, and not gettin' those seeds rollin' around in your mouth will make things too easy."

Dedede shrugged it off. "Pssh, it's not like I wanted to do so anyway!"

"Now, will the ten remaining survivors please grab one of the peppers from the plate? All have been picked specifically to be at least incredibly similar in shape, size, and spiciness to ensure that this challenge is as fair as possible." He assured.

Cautiously, they all approached the plate of Carolina Reapers, reluctantly taking one from the plate, the disgusting shape and devilish appearance was incredibly intimidating for some survivors who rarely ate hot foods. In fact, it was intimidating for even the most confident of players.

"Looks like a beetroot crossed with a hand that's been in the shower for too long." Gordon gagged. "Disgusting..."

"I bet Geoffrey's celebrating that he doesn't have to go through this..." Captain Falcon admitted. "But hey! The fiery Captain Falcon can chew through anything hot without that stupid milk."

The survivors were then lined up in a row, the Reapers were cupped in their hands, and opposite of them stood ten large glasses of milk, tempting them to discard the pepper and glug down the milk.

However, they had to sit through this, it was the only way for them to guarantee their team's safety. They had been through worse!

"Well, it's-a better than pushing that rock, right?" Mario gulped, analyzing the demonic pepper.

"Hopefully." Reigen agreed.

"On the count of three, all of you shall eat the pepper at the same time, anyone who doesn't eat the pepper immediately will be disqualified, so eat up!" Warned Don.

They all shivered as Don began counting down.

"Three..."

They put the pepper up to their mouths.

"Two..."

They opened their mouths wide...

"ONE, EAT!" He bellowed as they all popped the pepper in their mouth instantly.

Johnny was the quickest to swallow the pepper, a few chews to open up the heart of the pepper before swallowing it down his throat.

Everyone else either tried to eat it just as quickly or had trouble eating such a large and bulbous pepper without eating it at a moderate pace, to which they knew they would be regretting.

After eating it, thirty seconds passed and nothing appeared to be happening.

"Aha! I knew my strategy worked." Johnny grinned. "The ol' double-chew and swallow technique. Now my tongue won't be burnt!"

"I don't think that's how it works," Samus remarked. "I'm not feeling the spiciness either, and I could've eaten it a lot quicker."

Forty seconds had now passed, and Little Mac began gloating.

"Wow, this really is a load of nothing!" He boasted.

Unfortunately, right after he said that, droplets of sweat began to form along his forehead and in his brow, his face plastered red as his mouth began scalding hot with incredible heat.

The same happened for everyone else aside from Johnny, as they visibly went distressed from the spiciness.

"HOT-HOT-HOT-HOT!" Mario cried, breathing heavily as an attempt to have the air cool their mouths, but it was futile. "WAAAAAAAH!"

"HA! I don't feel a single thing!" Johnny smirked, at least until it hit him.

He was right, his tongue barely felt the heat, although most of the seeds had touched his throat, causing it to burn with agony, unlike anything he had ever experienced.

"MAAAAMA!" He yelled with terror, clutching at his throat as he dashed towards the tall glass of milk, chugging it down.

"Johnny Bravo is the first one out already?" Don shook his head. "The heat caps at eight minutes for me, but I heard it's usually different. If you can't handle the first minute, then maybe it was for the best that you went out so soon."

Johnny laid on the ground, breathing heavily as the lingering spiciness still haunted him, though nowhere near as bad as it was initially.

"G-great." Squidward quivered. "Already one man down!"

"Psssh, this is n-nothing." Little Mac lied.

"Yeah, this is baby-food!" Captain Falcon smirked, his face was surprisingly normal compared to everyone else.

On the second minute, the heat had definitely crept up a lot more, which caused some survivors to hyperventilate a small bit.

"T-THIS IS TORTURE!" Josuke cried. "GHAAAAAAAAH!"

"Just think of the victory..." Samus encouraged, the pain just as bad for her. "My eyes are watering, my face is red, and I'm sweating already, but I can't back down."

"Oh God, just kill me." Gordon prayed. "Who thought this was a good idea?!"

Reigen shrugged, keeling over from the heat. "I-I dunno. Probably A-llllexa."

"No *CENSORRED*." He spat in retaliation.

By the third minute, some people were beginning to move around, their jittery movements somewhat distracted them from the Hell taking place within their mouths, as the spiciness managed to get even worse.

"I can't take it anymore, I'm going for the milk." Wii Fit Trainer squealed under her breath. "Haaaa..."

"Don't!" Josuke attempted to convince her otherwise. "We can't... let them win!"

"*CENSORED* it, where's that milk?" Gordon snapped, coughing from the heat. "I can't take it anymore."

He hobbled over to the glass of milk, almost as if it was calling out to him, and he nabbed it from the table, drinking it and swishing it around in his mouth, instantly calming down the rampage within this mouth.

"Darn, the third minute in and Gordon Ramsay is out!" Don announced. "Hooo-wee is this pepper terrorizin' y'all."

"Sure *CENSORED* is..." He remarked resentfully, taking another swig of the milk. "This is like bloody nectar."

"Don't make it sound so good!" Scalded Josuke.

Two more minutes had passed, making it hit five minutes total.

"Not even halfway through until it reaches the devilish peak!" Taunted Don, shaking a glass of milk. "If any of y'all are boutta collapse from the heat, then here's your medication!"

"The taunting isn't helping..." Squidward quivered under his breath, his eyes were beginning to strain from the agony of the heat, it was beginning to get to him.

...

"GHAAAAAA!" A yell came from one of them, as they ran up to drink the milk.

With their slightly hazy vision, they observed who went to get the milk, and it was Josuke.

He glugged down a fair quarter of the glass before slamming it back down on the table, breathing heavily from the pain of it all.

"I wish Crazy Diamond worked on spiciness..." He commented.

"Wow! Our third contestant, Josuke Higashikata, is out!" Don clapped his hands. "This is one Hell of a show! If only Alexa was here to see this."

"It's not pleasant at all!" Once again, Josuke scalded Don for his remarks, causing the Texan to put his hands on his hips.

"Don't get all up in arms to me there, youngin'. This was Alexa's idea." He reminded. "I am just takin' his place!"

As Don tilted his head back to the remaining survivors, he saw Wii Fit Trainer sprint to the milk, trauma was in her eyes.

"Ghaa... gimme..." She uttered weakly, grabbing the milk and taking a surprisingly controlled sip, which definitely wasn't proportionate to her suffering. "...That's better."

"A-and another one is out! Wii Fit Trainer. New Laau Pama has two members left, whilst New Haupia has four members left!" He stuttered, struggling to catch up with the back-to-back eliminations.

Wii Fit Trainer pouted at her team. "I'm sorry guys. I know we can do this!"

Mario and Samus were the only ones remaining on Laau Pama. Samus was completely red in the face from the heat as she looked uncomfortable, and Mario looked like he was about to break himself, the heat was impeccable.

As for New Haupia, Squidward felt like he was about to break too, same for Little Mac, and Captain Falcon was even beginning to pace back and forth from the nightmarish heat. Reigen had been silently suffering this entire time, facing the absolute opposite of the milk, attempting to think about anything else to keep his mind off of downing the glass in an instant.

It was now seven minutes in, apparently a minute or so before the heat officially peaks and it begins to die down. If the survivors knew that they'd be allowed to have the milk after the cap, they definitely would have just held on for the final minute, but the fact that they have to keep going without any milk until the fifteenth minute had a few of them irate.

"Gnnnrgh, I can't take it anymore," Squidward said, the burning sensation in his mouth may subside soon, but he just couldn't take the pain any longer.

Before he ran over to the drink...

Little Mac sprinted instead, distracting the sea animal from moving to the milk. Instead, he simply watched as the distressed boxer took a long swig of the milk, which put out the sensation like it was a real fire.

Right after that happened, Reigen hobbled over to the drink, his face drained of his usual cocky or laidback energy.

Squidward's jaw dropped as he observed the so-called "Psychic" drink up the milk, savoring it whilst drinking it oh-so quickly.

"One after the other?! Little Mac and Reigen are out! That ties both teams with two players. If you feel like this pain is going to be the death of you, then fear not! The pain is soon to subside," Don reminded. "I'd say a minute or two left!"

Upon seeing his teammates drop out like flies, Squidward felt that he had no other choice but to continue enduring the spiciness, otherwise his team may lose yet again, and he knew that a team of four would definitely be a major drawback in the competition, even if the next few Tribal Councils are guaranteed to go his way. He took a slight step back, ignoring the milk.

As the aforementioned two minutes passed, their mouths were so numb from the heat that they couldn't even notice that the spiciness they were experiencing was at an all-time high. Knowing that they hit the peak, they gained more confidence in themselves, knowing that things will only get better from here, as they had merely hit rock bottom.

Soon ten minutes passed, they began to feel the spiciness die down, and it was incredibly satisfying to know that they've pretty much survived the torture.

Then eleven minutes passed, followed by twelve minutes, thirteen minutes, fourteen minutes, and before the four remaining survivors knew it, they had survived the agony!

Don was proud, which was evident by his hearty cheering and clapping. "Well done to you four survivors! Unfortunately, things ended up as a tie, but for being such brave souls, you deserve a darn huge pat on the back and some applause!"

He beckoned the surrounding survivors to cheer them on, which filled all of them with glee and accomplishment.

"W-we did it!" Squidward exclaimed, his mouth still numb from the heat, causing him to slur a lot of his words.

"A relief." Added Samus, wiping the sweat from her face as she walked up to the milk. "We're allowed to drink this, right?"

"Mmhmm!" Don gave a thumbs up with a toothy grin. "Y'all earned it."

Upon hearing this news, Mario, who had been repeating "hot-hot-hot-hot" to himself for the past fifteen minutes, jumped over to the milk and drank it.

"WAAA-HOO!" He cheered. "I'm-a so glad I managed to pull through! Thank-a heavens that I've been brought up on-a some fairly spicy food, or I wouldn't have-a made it!"

Wiping the milk from his mouth, the joyous plumber laid down, drinking in his achievements.

Samus simply sipped her milk, only finishing it as it provided her with extra energy for the future.

Captain Falcon drank it ferociously, he may have looked like the strongest one in the challenge, but deep down he was struggling to no end, and even came close to dropping out early a few times.

Squidward drank it like he hadn't been fed properly in days, which was understandable. After all, he actually hadn't been fed properly in days.

As they drank the remaining yet prominent spiciness away, Don turned to them, the tie-breaker was now going to begin.

"Whoever gets this right will win for their team. Only the four fellas who endured the heat will be the only ones allowed to answer, anyone else who answers will be disqualified." Don alerted. "Each one of you four will be answerin' once to this question..."

He then proceeded to read out the question, which made him smirk a little.

"To the nearest hundred-thousand, what were the Scoville units of those exact peppers that all of y'all ate?" Don asked.

Captain Falcon raised his hand. "It's gotta be one million and six-hundred thousand right?"

"That's your answer?" Don questioned.

"Well, I'll guess one million and seven-hundred thousand." Samus slyly guessed slightly above his, causing the racer to send a suspicious glare at her.

"Hmm... Is it, two million?" Guessed Mario.

"It's clearly hotter than that! I'm no expert, but it can't be any less than two million and five hundred thousand!" Squidward spat.

Don nodded as he recorded each of the answers in his head. "Alright, time for me to read out the answer. A reminder that, if you get the closest without specifically getting the answer right, then you still win for your team!" He revealed.

With gusto, the Texan read out the answer:

"The Carolina Reaper has a very broad Scoville range, however, these ones were specifically picked to be extremely similar or identical in units to provide a fair challenge. The Scoville units for these Reapers were one million and nine-hundred thousand. Meaning that Mario is the closest one to the answer, and thus wins the challenge for him and his team!" Don announced.

Mario once again jumped with joy as his estimate saved his team from elimination.

"Oh yeah, I-a win!" He happily stated.

Samus gave a look of relief as she was safe for another day. Squidward and Captain Falcon looked especially disappointed, as they lost the challenge for them and their team.

"New Laau Pama wins the challenge!" Said Don. "Incredible endurance and guessing skills! Y'all may not win anything special, but you sure get to have that immunity! Scurry along now, and make sure to keep smilin'. This is my goodbye to you beautiful fellas!"

His nice, encouraging words left a mark on the winning team as they slowly walked back to the tribe, at ease. Though, many of them had that burning feeling still in their mouths...

"Aww heck." Johnny groaned. "Not another loss!"

"Unfortunate, I know." Don empathized. "You two came close, I'll give ya that! However, it ain't enough, I'll be hostin' the ol' Tribal Council thing tonight, and I want y'all to find someone to vote off! Head off now, I'll see ya later!"

He waved goodbye with his large hands as the losers painfully walked back to the tribe. The burning they felt was not only from the spiciness, but also from the realization of yet another loss, yet another teammate that will be eliminated from the tribe by the end of this day...

* * *

**New Haupia: Day 16**

Survivors: Johnny Bravo - Captain Falcon - Squidward Tentacles - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen

The survivors, their mouths still slightly sore and numb from the challenge, were all walking back to the tribe, their pace sluggish from their exhaustion.

There were two groups when walking back. Squidward and Reigen were paired up, whispering to one another about their plans for Tribal Council, whilst Little Mac was with Johnny Bravo and Captain Falcon, wanting to confirm the suspicions that had been building up ever since he was told that Captain Falcon betrayed Johnny.

"I can't wait to see Falcon's stupid face when he gets eliminated! I've had a bad feeling about that guy for a long time." Squidward wrung his tentacles with joy.

"Aren't we only against him because of our team splitting into two groups after Eggman got eliminated?" Reigen asked.

"Yes, but even before that! He just seemed like one of those powerhouses that could win any challenge, that could be friends with anyone and a huge threat to people like us!" Squidward ranted.

"People like us?" Queried Reigen.

The sea creature grumbled as he folded his arms. "We're not as strong or as goody-two-shoes as those people, so naturally the strong will want to pick off the weak."

He agreed. "Fair point. Samus, Captain Falcon, and Sonic were or still are admittedly big threats in terms of how good they perform. Sonic was the fastest one in the entire island, and not by a bit, Captain Falcon is consistently fast and strong, and Samus is incredibly cunning. If we keep any of them around for any longer, then we'll be eliminated before we know it!"

"Whilst we're on that topic..." Squidward nodded his head over to Little Mac in the distance before lowering his voice some more. "Little Mac is a threat himself, we can't keep him around for long either."

"Bringing pawns and eliminating the strong is the only way I can win this show! If I get eliminated or don't win that prize, then I'll be forced to stay in my crummy job, and Krabs won't be happy with me when I get back. I can't afford to have my pay docked any more!" - Squidward Tentacles.

Reigen raised an eyebrow. "But he's on our side?"

"Well? He can still perform a lot better than us. He can stick around for a little bit, but I'm going to try and eliminate him eventually." Squidward argued.

Reigen folded his arms. "I don't think we'll be on teams any longer."

"Huh? What makes you say that?" The sea creature investigated the claim.

"Think about it! Alexa won't be able to make every challenge equal with four on one team and seven on another. At some point, he's going to have to do something, whether that be another team shuffle, or maybe he gets rid of teams entirely." Reigen explained.

"Hmm, that DOES make sense." He nodded. "But it's best to stick to our plan since we don't know when this is going to happen."

"Well, all I'm saying is that it's a long-overdue thing." He concluded. "Now, we're going to vote Captain Falcon alongside Little Mac, right? Then we'll vote off Johnny and Little Mac if the teams don't shuffle or merge into one group?"

Squidward smirked at the recap, his mind racing with excitement. "Exactly."

As the conversation died down for the two, Johnny and Captain Falcon were talking to each other.

"Alright so, if you think that witch was bad, remember Eggman?" Johnny brought him up. "Guy couldn't even sling the hammer ball thingie into that ocean! What a weakling."

"Yeah, he was." He simpered. "Sure you technically did worse because you lost a point whilst he didn't gain or lose any, but yours had a lot more effort than his."

"Exactly, everyone who voted for me that night was a couple o' fools." He grimaced at the memory. "Can't believe I nearly went out!"

Captain Falcon pouted. "Yeah. I know I keep saying this, but you're really lucky for staying that night, even without the help of the idol I had then. I really wish I didn't forget it and I used it. Even if it did turn out to be useless, we would have still been in an alliance instead of having to reform days and days later."

"Reform?" Little Mac walked between them, causing both to jump. "You're still in an alliance?"

"Yeah, what about it?" He coldly asked. "And what's with the lagging behind us?"

"Maybe he's onto us, like some spy sent by the others..." Johnny rubbed his chin.

Captain Falcon, whilst amused by his suggestion, didn't fully disagree. "Well, they are suspicious with how they keep encouraging us to check on that hatch for no reason, especially Squidward."

"I'm sorry, I was just minding my own business when I heard talk of an alliance." Little Mac rubbed his arm apologetically. "Hey, I heard that you betrayed Johnny by not using an idol on him, but it sounds like you just forgot."

"Pssh, wouldn't be surprised if you were told by the other two." He gave an eye roll. "I'm the reason he's still here!"

"Yeah, at first I thought he had betrayed me, but I then realized that he convinced a lot of people to vote for someone else instead of me. I hated him for a while afterward but I think we're in an alliance again now!" Johnny told him about the situation.

All of a sudden, at the realization that the other two had lied to him to get on their side, Little Mac clenched his fists angrily.

"I can't believe they both lied to me! They had the audacity to stand there and tell me that Captain Falcon was a backstabber and a traitor, but it turns out the whole thing was a misunderstanding that Reigen and Squidward took advantage of. I know the stakes are high, I want that money and that hotel stay more than anyone on here, but does this really have to bring out the worst in people?" - Little Mac.

He then proceeded to huddle closer to the two, eyeing Squidward and Reigen in the distance as they entered the tribe.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do." Little Mac began whispering. "Squidward, Reigen and I were originally going to vote for you, Falcon."

"I'm almost surprised, to say the least..." He groaned. "Those guys have it out for me."

"Say-what-now?" Johnny raised his eyebrows.

The boxer then continued with what he was saying. "Now after learning that they lied about you being this backstabber, I'm going to vote against one of them."

"Thank God you're on our side, then." Captain Falcon said with relief, cracking a smile. "But who?"

"Luckily, I know exactly who..." Little Mac leaned closer before whispering it.

"Him? Really? Well, I guess." Johnny scratched his head before brushing his hands through his hair.

When the three walked back to the tribe, they sat down next to Squidward and Reigen.

"Good luck this Tribal Council." Captain Falcon broke the ice.

"Yeah, you too." Little Mac then pointed out of the tribe. "I know it's not really the time, but you should check on that hatch."

"Huh?" He half-closed his eyes before catching the boxer winking with assurance. "Oh, well, fine. I swear, this is the last time before someone else does it!"

Johnny shrugged. "I'll come with, nothin' better to do, it's not like anything important is gonna happen."

"I dunno why Little Mac is tellin' us to go away, he's probably planning a super blindside! He'll get our hopes up and WHAM, Captain Falcon gets eliminated anyway. Hopefully, that ain't the case though, nobody is that cruel... I think." - Johnny Bravo.

"There's a Tribal Council, it's important! But whatever." Squidward shooed him off.

As both disappeared from sight, Squidward and Reigen both turned over to Little Mac.

"Remember the plan?" Reigen asked. "You hopefully should have, anyone, can remember a plan as simple as voting off Captain Falcon."

"Yeah yeah, I know." Little Mac nodded, sounding a lot less naive than usual with things. It was hard for him to sound completely civil when he found out that he was played like a fiddle.

Despite his slight change in tone, it went over their heads.

Squidward was giddy about eliminating Captain Falcon, as Reigen was just more or less glad that he would be safe for another day. As Little Mac watched them, he began to grin himself, but for an entirely different reason...

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 16**

The intense sound of footsteps was a crucial part of the Tribal Council's intensity. Hearing every single candidate for elimination walk down the wooden walkways and over to their seats brought a subconscious, tense feeling to everyone else. However, the lack of these footsteps this time around made things even tenser, as it gave a grim and subtle reminder that with less noise from footsteps, it meant fewer people, fewer candidates for elimination, but a lot more danger for those fewer candidates.

With fear, each of the five remaining survivors on New Haupia sat down on the declining stumps, next to the declining torches.

As expected, Alexa was nowhere to be seen, and the towering body of Don McGlower stood in front of them.

"Say, your team is tiny." He chuckled. "Remember when y'all had Mr. Krabs, Wario, or Sonic? Now after tonight, you would have lost yet another member on your team. How does this huge lack of team members concern you, Reigen?"

"It's not comforting, to say the least," Reigen stated. "Out of the three, losing Sonic was the biggest injury to our team, but even when losing drawbacks like Wario or Mr. Krabs, it's beginning to feel eerily lonely, and I get surprised at the silence of my team sometimes, as I'm definitely not used to it."

Don nodded. "Understandable, you started with nine bustlin' members at the start, and now you're been reduced to four other members, soon to be three by the end of this Tribal Council. Is your opinion similar to Reigen's, Capt'in Falcon?"

"Definitely. In fact, I find it more difficult to get used to fewer members of my team than I found getting used to a mostly new team and location altogether. The lack of intensity from others here is also beginning to give me the creeps!" He admitted.

"Surprisin' that a lack of members triggers anxiety or fear in some of you, definitely surprises me." He confessed. "Squidward, strivin' away from the whole "lack of members" thing, how did you feel about your close loss in the last challenge?"

Squidward curled his lip. "We should have had a better tie-breaker! A stupid question that tests nothing about you is a load of barnacles, and we deserved that win instead of the other team."

"Maybe a better tie-breaker could have happened, albeit this one was rather fair and tested your knowledge on the spiciness of 'dem Reapers." Don defended.

"No, it did not." He argued.

He rolled his eyes and said, "Let's just agree to disagree. Now, next question to Mr. Bravo, do you feel like being out of the challenge first will provide a disadvantage to you in this council?"

"Nope, you can't get rid of Johnny, no matter how hard you try!" He pompously proclaimed before posing. "Johnny could go first or last and he'd still come out on top!"

"That's a rather bold mindset, but to each of their own," Don said. "Now, for the final question to Little Mac, if someone aside from you gets eliminated, then how do you think this will impact the team in the future?"

"Well, firstly we'd be down to four members, which is a big handicap in challenges no matter how fair Alexa tries to make it. Second of all, I feel like it won't change the next elimination, though the elimination after that may be rather different. Hopefully, we don't get to that point though!" He gave an optimistic beam.

The Texan host nodded as he pointed to one of the wooden pathways. "Well, I've asked all of y'all a question, so it's time to get votin'! Cast your votes!"

In turns, the survivors walked down the pathway to cast their votes:

Squidward Tentacles: This has been long overdue! You were meant to go out before the shuffle, yet you managed to stick around for too long. I'm gonna take great enjoyment out of seeing a threat like you go out. (Captain Falcon)

Arataka Reigen: If it will keep me safe, then I'll vote Captain Falcon. It also has the added bonus of him being too strong for anyone to keep up with, so eliminating him now is our only chance of getting rid of such an obstacle! (Captain Falcon)

Little Mac: No hard feeling, but you two lied to me! That's why I'll have to choose especially you for elimination... (?)

Captain Falcon: I agree with Little Mac's choice, I probably would have recommended it myself. (?)

Johnny Bravo: Uhhh, I dunno if I agree with the choice or not but eh, they're both lame thin dorks anyway. (?)

"Survivors, it's time for me to read out your votes, in honor of your sick host, Alexa," Don added the extra bit of the end, pulling a small grin.

***VOTING TIME***

First vote goes to Squidward, one vote Squidward. (Squidward rolls his eyes at Falcon.)

Second vote goes to Captain Falcon, one vote Captain Falcon, and one vote Squidward.

Third vote goes to Squidward, two votes Squidward, and one vote Captain Falcon. (Squidward glares at Johnny.)

Fourth vote goes to Captain Falcon, that's two votes for Captain Falcon and Squidward! (Squidward prepares himself, about to gloat at Captain Falcon.)

"And the ninth one eliminated from the show thus far is..."

...

...

"Squidward Tentacles, at a 3-2 vote!" Don announced.

Reigen's jaw dropped at the reveal as Squidward began gloating regardless.

"AHA! I knew I'd vote you ou-... wait, you mean me as in safe right?" He checked.

"Unfortunately not, friend." McGlower pouted. "I'm sorry but you're eliminated! Hand me your torch, your time in Survivor is done."

"Wha..." Squidward's confusion quickly turned to anger, as he spun around and pointed his tentacle towards Little Mac. "You betrayed us, didn't you?!"

Little Mac stood up, defending himself. "You lied to me for your own benefit, you and Reigen did!"

Ignoring the defense, Squidward began pleading to Don. "Please give me one more chance! I can't go back to Mr. Krabs, he'll put my pay in the negatives!"

"Well, ain't nothing I can do. Maybe ya can convince the ol' crustacean to keep your payment as it is." Don suggested.

Knowing that this would get nowhere for him, Squidward snagged his torch and rudely handed it to the Texan.

As the fire hissed away, he bitterly turned to his team. "Good luck winning with Captain Falcon on there! The strong ones will crush the rest of you."

Squidward walked down the pathway, still beyond disgruntled.

"From what I've observed, Squidward was a rather cynical person. Not exactly the most social in the sea, I'd say, but hey, he tried his darn best to get further, but it all, unfortunately, collapsed in on him. G'night survivors, and whilst we may never meet each other again as Alexa is apparently feelin' better, it was an honor bein' here." Don waved goodbye as they exited the Tribal Council.

...

"Well, this place was fun n' all." He grinned. "Always thought the moodiness of this place was from the effects, but Hell, it really does feel like you're in misery. I guess I better get my pay and get outta here, maybe tryin' to host for Alexa when he gets ill again won't be such a bad idea..."

Don walked off himself, leaving the Tribal Council empty...

* * *

Squidward's Last Words: "Forget it! I may get hassle when I return back to my boring old life from Mr. Krabs, but it's not like I wanted to be in a show as low quality as this one! I could make a real show with challenges people WANT to see with my eyes closed! I'm out of here..."

* * *

**VOTES**

Squidward: Captain Falcon, Johnny Bravo, Little Mac.

Captain Falcon: Squidward Tentacles, Arataka Reigen.

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Wario. (USED)

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon. (USED)

Idol of Mirroring - Wii Fit Trainer.

Idol of ? - Unknown

The ? Idol - Unknown

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

New Laau Pama (Green Team)

\- Mario

\- Papyrus

\- Samus Aran

\- Josuke Higashikata

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Gordon Ramsay

\- King Dedede

New Haupia (White Team)

\- Johnny Bravo

\- Captain Falcon

\- Little Mac

\- Arataka Reigen


	12. Episode 9 - Together We Are One!

Episode 9: Together, we are ONE!

**Island Rockies: Day 17**

Similar to the team shuffle, the 11 remaining survivors were called up early in the morning to the center of the island. What would happen this time was a complete mystery.

A few things were different about the Rockies. Two decently large wooden shelters were built, eerily similar to the ones in their teams, and a decently big screen was placed in the middle of it all, which was definitely an abnormal sight, as they hadn't seen any electronics outside the back of Alexa's phone for who knows how long!

"What's up with this place?" Reigen remarked. "Looks like I might have been right about the team thing..."

"Considering you were right about the blindside thing, then should it really be a surprise to a psychic like you?" Captain Falcon interrogated.

He scratched the back of his head, sweating profusely. "Well, uhh, I just get surprised by my own talent sometimes!"

As Alexa walked out to face the two teams, he smiled. "I'm back baby! Big thanks to Don for taking over whilst I was resting... hey, can you guys stop doing that?"

"Huh, what's wrong?" Dedede raised an eyebrow.

"You're both in those groups, still!" He stated with a cheeky grin. "You see survivors, now that we're getting decently close to the end of this game, the teams can get unbalanced REALLY quickly. That's why it's time for New Laau Pama and New Haupia to merge into one tribe!"

"A MERGE?!" Papyrus suspiciously glared at him. "ARE YOU IMPLYING THAT WE WORK TOGETHER? AGAINST WHO, EXACTLY?"

Alexa shook his head once more. "No! It's a free-for-all now, meaning that you will compete in challenges for your OWN benefit, nobody else's! Immunity isn't given to an overall team, but the best performers in the challenges. That's why I decided to come up with this lil' gimmick."

He guided them over to the screen that had already caught the eye of many. It proudly stuck out of the ground, and it read out the names of the eleven remaining survivors.

* * *

MARIO = 0

PAPYRUS = 0

SAMUS ARAN = 0

JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA = 0

WII FIT TRAINER = 0

GORDON RAMSAY = 0

KING DEDEDE = 0

JOHNNY BRAVO = 0

CAPTAIN FALCON = 0

LITTLE MAC = 0

ARATAKA REIGEN = 0

* * *

"Basically, when you compete in a challenge, each person will get a certain amount of points depending on their placement. For example, first place may receive twenty points, second place receiving fifteen, third receiving ten, all the way until eleventh place receives zero points. The top half scorers, so the five highest, in this case, will be immune in Tribal Council. From the sixth and eleventh scorers onwards, they will be up for elimination in Tribal Council. Those safe are still able to vote, too!" Alexa explained. "Also, if there's ten left, then the top five will still be immune. If there's eight left, then the top four will be immune. That's what I mean by top half, ya get me?"

"Yeah, it's just a lot to take in," Gordon confessed. "So even if there's an odd amount of people, like eleven, then the top five will still be the only ones immune?"

Alexa agreed. "Exactly!"

"Alright, that's my biggest concern out the way." He gave a look of relief. "Still a lot to drink in, though."

Samus gave a nod of understanding. "I get it, and will Tribal Council be the same?"

"Almost..." He said. "Anyone eliminated from this point will become a Jury member! A Jury member shows up to future Tribal Councils to watch them, and they will play a massive role towards the end of the game, so please respect them!"

"So they're eliminated, but play a part anyway." Wii Fit Trainer simplified it for herself. "I see! That position is a reward for making it this far, right?"

"Well, you get a lot of rewards for making it to the merge," Alexa began listing them. "More food and water rations, a cleaner environment to get your water from, two shelters that are sturdier and cozier than the old ones, alongside lighters and even a chessboard. We're drowning you in such luxury for making it this far! The only tradeoff is fewer people are immune, and I imagine things will get a lot tenser as the number of survivors decreases."

Johnny raised his muscular arm right into the air. "Just a question, but what's our tribe name? My personal name would be "Johnny and the Fellas", but anythin' would go."

"What about "Johnny is up for elimination"? That would go too, right?" Alexa teased, causing the Elvis impersonator to rapidly shake his head.

"Heck no!" He denied. "Anythin' but that."

"Right, well, I've already come up with the name a while back. The name is... Laau Haupa and your team color will be yellow!" Alexa revealed.

"So it's a mix of both two tribe names?" Wii Fit Trainer analyzed. "That's clever!"

He gave a bow of appreciation before beginning to walk off. "Well survivors, I'll see you all in a few hours..."

"Again?!" Josuke gawked with despair. "Come on, I'm tired enough."

"Well, you'll find out..." He smirked before disappearing into the trees.

"Man, he sure is cryptic..." Josuke groaned. "At least we've officially made it into the merge!"

* * *

**Laau Haupa: Day 17**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Josuke Higashikata - Wii Fit Trainer - Gordon Ramsay - King Dedede - Johnny Bravo - Captain Falcon - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen

As the two teams united into one, many alliances that were originally split had reunited and were celebrating over it.

Josuke, Little Mac, and Papyrus were all together, reunited.

Whilst not in an absolute alliance, a group had formed between Mario, Captain Falcon, Gordon Ramsay, and Johnny Bravo.

Lastly, a group had formed between Samus, Reigen, King Dedede, and Wii Fit Trainer.

"WOWIE, WHO KNEW THAT OUR ALLIANCE WOULD BE SO STRONG THIS FAR INTO THE COMPETITION!" Papyrus rejoiced. "THE GREAT PAPYRUS, THE GREAT JOSUKE, AND THE GREAT MAC SHALL SURELY WIN!"

"You bet!" Assured Josuke with confidence. "It's just a shame that Geoffrey and Sonic are no longer with us. I bet they would have been a great help too."

"Look on the bright side, we still got three of us, that's a big chunk compared to the others here." Little Mac cheered him up. "Remember, as an alliance, if any of us are in danger of being eliminated off, we all gotta band together to prevent that! I'm sure Captain Falcon and Johnny are both good friends of mine now, since I saved them from elimination last night, so we got a lot of back-ups."

Papyrus squealed with delight. "SO I HAVE NO CHANCE OF ELIMINATION?!"

"Not no chance, but a really low chance, especially compared to everyone else," Josuke mentioned.

Whilst the trio were imagining their safety, the team of Mario, Captain Falcon, Gordon, and Johnny were happy themselves.

"Glad you managed to survive the team shuffle, Cap." Gordon folded his arms. "Though, when you're on the same team as a crab, a fat smelly loudmouth, and a squid, it's not hard to survive."

"Trust me, it got really tense at some parts." He confessed in response. "Say, why didn't Alexa mention Squidward's elimination?"

"...Hmm, good point, maybe he just-a forgot?" Mario guessed. "It doesn't-a matter, he wasn't-a very pleasant anyway!"

Johnny nodded. "Yeah, he almost got us two eliminated!"

"Yep." Captain Falcon confirmed. "Luckily Little Mac helped us out, I trust him a lot now."

"Now now, let's not make too many friends." Warned Gordon. "We're getting too far towards the end to have a stable alliance, as much as I want one."

"He's right, this is all for ourselves, but good luck to everyone!" Declared Captain Falcon with a look of sportsmanship.

"Even though I'm going to care about myself before anyone else, I'm still going to try and get Johnny as far as I can with me. It can't be a game of voting with just two people left, so I bet that the final two will either duke it out in a challenge or something else. Whatever it is, I'd have Johnny with me, since we've been an alliance for a while, and it probably won't change." - Captain Falcon.

Meanwhile, at the final group, it felt less of a reunion, and more like a milestone in their journey to victory.

"So, Squidward's out?" Samus studied the remaining people. "There are a lot of threats left to go..."

"Threats?" Queried Wii Fit Trainer. "Oh c'mon, not this again..."

"Unfortunately it'll be difficult to catch a break from finding people to vote off, this game has only gotten more intense now that we're all together. I'm going to try my best to win those challenges so I can stay safe." She said with determination lingering in her voice.

"Well, I am too!" Dedede added. "I don't think a king like me will ever face punishment!"

As he roared with pompous nature, Reigen decided to tell the others how Squidward was eliminated. "It seemed like Little Mac must've caught on to Squidward's lies, so he was blindsided by him, Johnny and Captain Falcon."

Samus gave a nod. "I see. Looks like his own arrogance got him eliminated, though if he managed to pull off whatever he was trying to do, it might have been very beneficial."

"He attempted to eliminate Captain Falcon," He elaborated. "Keep this between all four of us, but he's definitely looking like a threat right now."

"What an understatement," Said Dedede. "That guy can run fast, lift well, and is pretty darn cunning from what I've seen. There's no wonder as to why he does well in all of his challenges, even the ones he loses in!"

"As much as I hate to go against people, I guess we have entered that time of the game where I have to put my kindness aside a little bit." Admitted Wii Fit Trainer with a gloomful, distasteful expression. "But I'm not going to decide until after the challenge!"

Before anyone could respond to her statement, they heard a bell ringing from the distance, causing them to turn their heads to one of the wooden shelters, the origin of the noise.

Standing proudly, Papyrus rung the bell with a glimmer of fascination deep in his eyes. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FORMER LAAU PAMA AND FORMER HAUPIA MEMBERS ALIKE, I HAVE FOUND A BELL!"

...

"Neat?" Reigen responded, quickly followed with an eyebrow raise.

"AHEM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT!" The skeleton continued. "SO MAY THE ENTIRETY OF LAAU HAUPA APPROACH THE SHELTER!"

Abiding by his command, everyone slowly wandered over to the shelter.

Papyrus had two things tucked behind him on the floor of the shelter, he was obviously giddy to show the entire tribe of his findings.

"ALEXA FAILED TO MENTION THESE EXTRA SUPPLIES!" The first item he pulled out was a long wooden spear. "A LONG SPEAR, LIKELY FOR FISHING..."

He then plopped it down in front of everyone for them to see.

"Only one?" Mario assumed, peering into the shelter to see if he could find anymore.

"FORTUNATELY, THERE IS ANOTHER!" Papyrus responded. "NOW, THE NEXT ITEM I HAVE FOUND APPEARS TO BE WHAT I CAN ONLY IMAGINE TO BE SOME SORT OF CAMERA!"

"Oh cool! I didn't know he was kind enough to lend us a camera, but what would a camera be for?" Captain Falcon climbed up and took it off the skeleton, browsing through the old images. "Weird... most stuff here consists of pictures of the island and our tribe. You think Alexa might have left it behind?"

Josuke grinned. "Hey, how about we take a picture!"

"Yeah, who cares if that guy forgot his camera? Without a mirror to remind myself of my good looks, lookin' through a camera is the next best thing." Johnny wrung his hands before posing. "Should I go like this or THIS? Maybe a little bit of THIS?!"

"A PICTURE OF THE WHOLE TRIBE, HOW... WHOLESOME." Smiled Papyrus. "ALLOW ME, THE MASTER PHOTOGRAPHER, TO TAKE THIS PHOTO. I WILL HAVE TO TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM AND DISCLUDE MYSELF FROM THIS PHOTO... AFTER ALL, ONE PERSON HAS TO TAKE THE PICTURE, AND TO SHOW MY OUTSTANDING LOYALTY, I SHALL BE THE ONE TO DO SO!"

Gordon shook his head. "You can be in the photo too if you put an option to delay the time it takes to take the photo."

"WOWIE, REALLY?! ERRM..." Papyrus analyzed the camera. "TOO MANY BUTTONS..."

Giving up, he walked up and snatched the camera off of him. "Let me do it, Godsake."

"A picture, really?" Samus scoffed.

"C'mon, don't be antisocial, just smile!" Wii Fit Trainer encouraged.

"Fine." Her resilience caved in.

The ten members huddled together as Gordon propped the camera up by using a sack of rice to elevate it to a level that looked decent. He then clicked the button, and ran up to the group, adding himself into it before...

*SNAP*

A bright flash hit them in the eye, and Gordon ran back up to check on the image.

"Looks... pretty good. Could be a bit more even, I apologize for that." He observed.

"Where's my camera..." A voice panicked in the distance. "C'mon..."

They turned around to see a distressed Alexa heading towards them before catching the camera in the corner of his eye.

"Hey! This is my camera like I'd give one to you guys." He scalded. "Sheesh, what were you doing with it?"

As Gordon passed it back to him, he looked at the image taken.

"...Wow." He smirked. "Well ain't that just nice. You all just took a picture of yourselves."

"Well, that's what a camera is for." Little Mac defended. "We just thought it'd be nice if we took a picture."

"Y'know what?" Alexa, probably for the first time in the show, gave a genuinely warm smile. "It is a nice picture, I'll admit."

He then walked off, waving. "See ya, and don't forget to show up to that mysterious event~"

"Looks like he won't delete it." Samus said, almost gladfully whilst still sounding monotone.

"HUZZAH! WE MADE THE HOST SMILE WITHOUT IT LOOKING EVIL!" Papyrus cheered.

The whole event brought the survivors closer together for the next while, all of them merging into one group and talking to one another instead of sticking to their own small groups. The picture, whilst taken on a camera that's now in Alexa's possession, managed to reassure a lot of the people that, through the thick and thin, this was just a show...

* * *

**Roulette: Day 17**

The eleven survivors walked over to the beach, awaiting this mysterious event that Alexa had been building up for a while now.

When the time came, they saw Alexa, firmly standing in front of eleven boxes, each one bright green with a red stripe running down the middle. Each box was labeled with a different letter, from A to K.

"Hello, survivors!" Greeted the host. "You're all aware that every last one of you has zero points as of now, so I thought that incorporating a little bit of luck into your daily life would spruce up the game a bit!"

"Luck?" Captain Falcon quivered at the idea, as his luck had been pretty minimal so far.

"You see, each of these boxes contains a certain amount of points, ranging from no points to a grand prize of twenty points! Whilst this, unfortunately, involves no skill, you can still rely on Lady Luck to get you through this," he encouraged. "These events are called Roulettes, and whilst the order of who picks what box is decided upon the highest amount of points to the lowest amount of points, none of you have points! Instead, just this once, we'll go in alphabetical order, starting with Arataka Reigen! After everyone has picked a box, you will then be allowed to open it to see how many points are in there."

One by one, the survivors were called up and selected their box...

Arataka Reigen, being the first, chose Box D.

Captain Falcon chose Box I.

Gordon Ramsay chose Box E.

Johnny Bravo chose Box B.

Josuke Higashikata chose Box C.

King Dedede chose Box J.

Little Mac chose Box K.

Mario chose Box A.

Papyrus chose Box F.

Samus Aran chose Box G.

Lastly, Wii Fit Trainer chose Box H.

Upon receiving their boxes, Alexa then commanded the survivors to open up their box, and they obliged almost immediately.

* * *

***SAFE HAVEN***

JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA - 20

ARATAKA REIGEN - 15

PAPYRUS - 12

KING DEDEDE - 10

CAPTAIN FALCON - 7

***DANGER ZONE***

GORDON RAMSAY - 5

MARIO - 4

WII FIT TRAINER - 3

JOHNNY BRAVO - 2

SAMUS ARAN - 1

LITTLE MAC - 0

* * *

"T-twenty?!" Josuke cracked a large smirk. "Looks like luck is on my side!"

"I predicted that the box I chose would have given me something good," lied Reigen. "I'm a natural."

"Pssh, baloney, ya just got lucky." King Dedede scoffed. "I did too! Ya see me callin' myself some sort of psychic?"

Papyrus jumped for joy. "I-I GOT A HIGH SCORE?! I'M... I'M SAFE?!"

"It appears I am too! Here I was thinking that I was unlucky until now." Captain Falcon shook his head with regret. "Sure ate my own words, thankfully in a good way."

"Z-ZERO POINTS?!" Little Mac's jaw dropped with despair. "Zero..." He repeated to himself.

Samus tutted under her breath at such a low score, though she was slightly thankful for not being last, as that extra point could potentially decide her immunity, after all.

"Just barely off?" Gordon groaned. "Bloody luck, this will be a nightmare."

"You-a bet." Mario pouted.

Wii Fit Trainer managed to smile through her poor score. "Well, there'll be a lot more opportunities to get my points up!"

"This is rigged!" Johnny spat. "I ain't supposed to get two measly points. I ain't ever choosin' Box B again."

"Don't get too defeated or cocky over this, survivors," Alexa warned. "You still got a challenge tomorrow! That challenge will ultimately decide who will be safe for the first Tribal Council in the merge! This is all I wanted you for, so please head off back to your tribes and go back to whatever you were doing..."

The survivors walked back to their tribes, some happy with the number of points they got, some weren't.

* * *

**Challenge: Day 18**

The survivors entered the beach, and for the first time in Survivor, they didn't have to rely on one another to pull through. They all knew that this is a test of their own skill or luck, nothing else.

Alexa read their faces, seeing the determination on some, and cracked a grin.

"Looks like you're all ready to participate in your first merge challenge!" He assumed, to which many of them nodded or agreed with a simple "Yep!".

Behind Alexa were three crates: one was filled with sturdy shovels; one was filled with sacks made from cloth; the final one was filled with maps of the entire island.

He first grabbed the crate filled with shovels and dragged it in front of the others, allowing the survivors to get a proper look at them.

"In this challenge, you will be digging for your points! These points are represented by wooden balls, and they give you different points depending on what color they are." He then pulled out the three balls, each one stuffed in a different pocket of his. "The red ones are the most common, it gives you one point. The yellow ones are uncommon, but it gives you three points. Finally, the black ones are quite rare, but they give you five points."

Alexa then proceeded to put the three balls away and dragged the crate of cloth sacks forward. After doing so, he grabbed one of the sacks and straightened it out. "This sack is where you put all of your points or balls in! It can carry a fair amount, so you probably won't have to worry about running out of space, and if you do, well looks like you probably won the challenge!"

"BWAHAHAHA, I'll probably need five sacks for the number of points I'm gonna get!" Boasted Dedede.

The host gave a chuckle as he lobbed the cloth sack back into the crate before dragging out the final one, the maps. "These maps give you a layout of the island, as well as marking where the points are usually at! What I'm trying to get at is, go to these marked areas, and you'll be set for finding as many points as possible. You'll know where the points lie if you have a good eye..."

After showcasing all three crates and their inner possessions, he pulled out the three balls from his pockets again. "After seventy-five minutes of hunting for these points, you shall all return back to me and I will add up all of the points that you have collected. Not only will they add to your current amount of points, but the one who gets the most points will also receive..."

He paused and held out a white key, a key that would perfectly slot into the keyhole in the mysterious hatch, a key that would lead them to discover the Revival Idol.

Upon looking at it, the faces of Captain Falcon, Reigen, and Little Mac became excited, whilst Johnny somehow forgot about the hatch entirely.

"This key opens up a mysterious hatch somewhere on the island, and you may even find the hatch during this challenge," Alexa hyped, before putting it away. "It leads to an idol if you find and open it, and much like the other idols, stealing the key off of whoever has it in their possession or prohibited! You got to try and get that idol quick, too, because, after today, you'll never be able to use it."

"I gotta get that key! The Revival Idol sounds like something that would give you a second chance, and that sounds too good of an opportunity to pass up! If I get that key and the idol in the hatch, then I'm set for the game, and I may even have a guaranteed victory!" - Little Mac.

"Why does the idol become-a void so quick?" Mario asked. "No other idol is-a like that, right?"

"Well, it's a very different idol compared to the others, but I can't say too much," warned Alexa. "Just try and get it!"

"Of-a course I will, I'm-a number one!" He jumped into the air, brimming with glee.

Each survivor was then given permission to get one of each item from the crates, causing them to be equipped with the shovels, the sack, and the map of the island. It was a lot to carry, especially for the smaller or weaker survivors, but they'd have to pull through if they wanted enough points to become safe by the end of the challenge.

"Survivors, when I say go, you can scurry off to where ever you want!" Alexa said. "Now, let's start the count down! Three..."

"Two..."

"One..."

"Start your first merge challenge... GO!" He cried, causing all of them to run off, analyzing the map.

On the map were several marks that showed where the points would be at. These marks were located on the West and East side of the island (they started the challenge in the South), there were also marks where the old tribes used to be.

The eleven survivors split up into these four marks:

Mario, Dedede, Reigen, and Samus went to the West side of the island;

Josuke, Little Mac, and Papyrus went to the East side of the island;

Captain Falcon, Johnny, and Gordon went to the old Haupia tribe;

And finally, Wii Fit Trainer went to the old Laau Pama tribe.

The West side of the island was overall pretty sparse in terms of scenery, mostly just sand with the occasional large rocks scattered along with it.

Despite lacking a unique environment, it apparently had a high concentration of points.

"How are we supposed to dig out this whole area and find points?" Dedede questioned. "There's too much to dig!"

"You see those small orange splotches in the sand?" Samus asked the penguin.

"Err, a little bit, pretty faint." He confessed but nodded regardless.

The bounty hunter stuck her shovel into one of the splotches, removing the sand and revealing two red balls.

She placed the two points into her sack and Dedede gave a small nod of realization.

"Ohhh, so you're tellin' me that he knew that not puttin' down any sort of mark for the points would be cruel, so he put down faint ones!" He declared. "Man oh man am I going to have an easy time diggin' up points!"

The penguin got to work on looking for those splotches, but their very faint appearance made it surprisingly difficult.

Mario discovered one of the orange marks, and jumped into the air, slamming his shovel into the sand and flicking it at Reigen by accident. He then proceeded to grab the yellow ball and the red ball from inside.

"Gah!" The psychic cried. "Aim somewhere else."

"Oops, sorry." He apologized.

Regaining his focus, Reigen dug into one of the marks and discovered a black ball inside.

"Five points?!" He questioned to himself. "I knew this mark would hold something great!"

King Dedede then spotted a small mark for himself and gave a grin. "GAHA! I found one of you lil' points. I can't wait to get ma'self a gold mine!"

He firmly stuck the shovel in and flicked the sand away, accidentally causing it to hit Reigen once again.

"STOP IT!" He yelled in anger.

"Sorry, but this is more important!" The penguin winked before looking down at the points.

One measly red ball...

"ONE?!" He growled, grabbing it and bitterly tossing it into his sack. "This ain't fair!"

Many minutes passed later, and the number of splotches was beginning to get quite rare.

"Gah, screw this, I'm goin' to somewhere else!" Dedede gave up.

Reigen agreed. "Yep, this place is empty, I'm out."

"Ooh, I-a found one more," Mario declared, slamming his shovel into it and flicking the sand at Reigen again. "Oops, I'm-a so sorry!"

"GAAH!" He cried, brushing the sand from his hair. "At least I got a lot of points out of this, even if I'm coated in sand."

Inside the hole, Mario had found, there was a yellow ball and a black ball, coming to seven points in total.

"Hooray!" He cheered. "I got a lot!"

The plumber then joined the others in walking off, realizing that Samus had already left to somewhere else herself, probably in an attempt to get the points before anyone else could.

Meanwhile, on the East side of the island, the scenery was much more interesting. Seaweed was scattered across the golden sands, and more rocky areas were present on this side. Not to mention that a couple of beached jellyfish were on the coastline.

"Sheesh, this place is a mess," Josuke admitted. "Just look at these jellyfish! They're everywhere!"

"POOR CREATURES." Papyrus sighed before spotting an orange splotch right next to one of the sea creatures. "HMMM, AN ORANGE MARK? THIS MUST BE THE VISUAL INDICATOR ALEXA WAS TALKING ABOUT!"

"Oh yeah!" Little Mac looked over at it. "Alexa did say something about how a good eye would lead to you finding the points, or something like that. Try digging it!"

Obliging his alliance partner, the skeleton stuck his shovel in and lobbed the sand away, peeking inside.

"WOWIE, THREE YELLOW BALLS! AREN'T THOSE WITH THREE POINTS EACH?!" He queried excitedly.

"Yeah!" Josuke nodded. "We should split all of our points up and share them once we're done. That way, if we find a lot of points together, then we'll all be safe!"

"Maybe, that's a decent idea." Said Little Mac. "Hey Josuke, where's your shovel?"

The teenager gave a grin. "I don't need one!"

Josuke then spotted an orange mark on the ground, calling for his stand Crazy Diamond.

It then proceeded to punch the sand away at a speed more efficient than a shovel before grabbing the two red and one yellow ball inside.

"Wow, you... really don't need one." The boxer's eyes had widened at the sight. "Oh well, time to get more!"

Whilst they were hunting for points...

*BZZT*

"GAH! YOU INCOMPETENT JELLYFISH," Papyrus scalded. "MOVE OUT OF THE WAY, YOU'RE ON ONE OF THOSE MARKS!"

He attempted to pick it up to chuck it back into the ocean, but it just resulted in another powerful sting coursing through his body.

"GRRR... YOU'RE LUCKY THE PAIN ISN'T THAT BAD!" Papyrus threatened.

Little Mac then used his shovel to scoop up the jellyfish and throw it into the ocean.

"THAT WORKS TOO," he pouted. "WHY COULDN'T I HAVE THOUGHT OF SUCH AN IDEA?"

After spending a lot of time looking for marks and digging up the occasional one, they all came to the conclusion that they had dug the place up completely, and began heading to another spot.

"I saw a lot of people heading to the Westside, so we probably wouldn't make it before all of their points are dug up too." Little Mac analyzed his map before pointing towards the old Laau Pama tribe. "I know, let's go here! I think I only saw a handful of people go into the forest."

"SPLENDID IDEA, BUT LET'S HURRY!" Papyrus beckoned them to follow him, as he sprinted into the island's forest.

Whilst the two groups in the West and East side migrated into the forest to go to the tribes, Captain Falcon, Johnny, and Gordon had hefty sacks of points.

"Oh hello, there lil' mark." Johnny dashed over to the faint orange splotch in the light brown dirt. "Mind if I dig ya up?"

...

"Looks like ol' Johnny here is gonna take that as a yes." He winked as he quickly dug it up, pulling out a black ball. "Five more points to Johnny!"

"Man, now that I don't have anyone holdin' me back, I'm going to kick serious butt in these challenges. Wouldn't be surprised if I became the host of next season, I'm just that legendary." - Johnny Bravo.

Captain Falcon grinned. "Another five to you? You probably have around forty points by now! I've been counting loosely, and I'm somewhere around thirty, maybe slightly more?"

He shook his bag and the balls inside banged together, showing off the number of points he had obtained.

"I've only gotten seven..." Gordon mumbled to himself, glaring at the others. "Who knew Captain Falcon would become all buddy-buddy with Johnny again?"

The chef then caught his eye on the old campfire of the tribe, causing him to wander over to it and analyze it.

"Strange how Alexa just left this and the rest of the tribe untouched, you think he'd take it back." He said to himself.

All of a sudden, he caught wind of a small orange mark in the middle of the campfire, just barely visible when he looked straight down into it.

"How the hell did he think that this would be a good spot?!" Gordon whined, removing the wood from the campfire and digging up the small mark.

His grumpy mood swiftly changed when he observed the contents of the hole, however, which consisted of four black balls, bringing him up by twenty points as he threw them into the sack as soon as he saw them.

"Looks like I'm not going to be at a disadvantage anymore!" He declared with a smirk. "Time to find some more..."

When Gordon turned his head away from his sack to begin his hunt for more points, he noticed that a bunch of other people had appeared, those people being Mario, Reigen, and Dedede.

"Oh bloody hell, it looks like I have to find these quickly before they get stolen." He said in a hurry, rushing around the tribe for any marks.

Dedede peeked under the shelter and saw two yellow balls and a black ball. For a moment, his pupils felt like they had turned to love hearts with how entranced he was at the sight of the high-value points.

"I don't even need to dig these!" Dedede wrung his hands before attempting to scoop them out with his shovel.

All of a sudden, another shovel clashed with him, and he peeked to his left to see Reigen attempt to fish them out for himself.

"GAH!" The royal penguin nudged him in the shoulder. "This is my loot!"

"Finders keepers." He justified with a smug look of composure on his face.

They now fought for the three balls, reaching their shovels under the shelter in an attempt to scoop them out.

Eventually, Reigen managed to swipe the three balls out of the shelter, but they rolled out the other side, causing the "Psychic" to scramble onto his feet and chase after the points, Dedede following him.

When they got around to the other side, they, unfortunately, spotted Mario placing the two of them into his sack.

"Huh?" The plumber looked at them with confusion. "Is-a something wrong?"

He observed their pained, enraged faces as he raised an eyebrow. "Were those-a two yellow ones yours?"

"Wait, you only put in two?!" Dedede asked, grabbing the plumber by both shoulders and shaking him wildly.

"Y-Y-YESSS!" He stuttered with fear.

Mario was finally shoved aside by Dedede as he looked around for the black ball, Reigen quickly following suit.

Eventually, they both spot the black ball, lying next to a tree.

"IT'S MINE!" Dedede called out, waddling after it.

Reigen then ran past, confident in his ability to grab the ball and put it into his bag before Dedede could catch up.

Unfortunately, his dream of having those five precious points was cut short by Dedede, who grabbed him by his arm, causing him to trip over.

Dedede had also tripped over from the sudden movement, causing both of them to be flat on the floor.

When Reigen lifted his head weakly, he observed Captain Falcon grab the black ball.

"Oh, nice!" He pumped his fist. "Who knew he'd just lie them around!"

Similar to when Mario had taken the yellow balls from them, their faces were furious and defeated.

As the mania was going on, Wii Fit Trainer was all by herself.

"I can't believe nobody's bothered to check here yet! I bet there are still some more spots around here, though." She looked inside of her sack. "Five, six, seven... eight... thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen... twenty-one... twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six... twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four... thirty-nine points so far!"

She then stood up and took a big look around, a lot of the dug areas contained mostly red points, though the occasional yellow and black showed up for her.

"Looks like you've taken a lot out of this area." A voice came from behind, causing her to jump and spin around.

Samus was there, digging one of the orange marks she had missed with a shovel, inside were two yellow balls.

"Gah! When did you get here?!" She interrogated.

"Now." Replied Samus. "You're lucky that nobody came here just yet. Time's almost up, too, around twenty or so more minutes I'd say."

"Wow, time went fast..." Wii Fit Trainer admitted.

Samus proceeded to stuff the six points she had earned into her sack, clenching her fist over the end of it to close it.

The situation was slightly awkward, but both went on with their hunt for points for another five minutes.

Before they knew it, they heard the cries of Papyrus, Josuke, and Little Mac from afar as they slowly walked onto the scene.

"ONLY TWO PEOPLE?!" Papyrus gawked before posing. "LOOKS LIKE WE HIT THE JACKPOT OF POINTS!"

He looked around and saw barely any orange marks.

"ERR, I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING..." The skeleton announced to his alliance mates.

"Yeah, I've already emptied this place of points. Maybe if you're lucky you could find another one." Wii Fit Trainer shrugged before peering under the shelter. "Nevermind, I found some more!"

She stuck her hand under the shelter and pulled out another black ball, causing her to grin. "This place may just be filled with more, but I don't know if that's the case..."

"In the five minutes I spent looking around here, I found nothing." Samus filled in. "Other than what she just got, there's nothing left to find."

"Aww, man." Moaned Josuke. "All of that walking for nothing?"

"Well, we emptied one of the spots ourselves, so we got a lot too!" Little Mac gloated.

"Would you like a medal?" Samus sarcastically questioned.

To confirm their words, the three who had just entered spent a while looking for more points, and they could find barely anything.

"I knew we should have gone to the old Haupia tribe." Josuke folded his arms.

For the final time spent on the challenge, everyone either attempted to hunt for idols or, in the case of Josuke, Papyrus and Little Mac, they were splitting the points evenly.

"We got ninety-six in total, right?" Little Mac questioned everyone. "So that means we should each have 32 points."

"YES! A TRULY FOOLPROOF IDEA." Papyrus frantically nodded.

They then split the points evenly between them, they had their doubts about whether it would be enough to make them safe from the challenge entirely, but they were hoping so nonetheless.

After doing so, they headed back to where Alexa was early, and after the final ten minutes of searching, the other eight survivors returned too.

"So, survivors, did you enjoy the hunt?" He asked. "You better have! Show me your points."

One by one, each survivor gave their bag to Alexa, and he counted up the points for each one...

After five minutes of counting and waiting, he called back to the contestants. "Survivors, I shall now give you your results!"

* * *

Mario - 46

Wii Fit Trainer - 44

Johnny Bravo - 44

Samus Aran - 39

Captain Falcon - 38

King Dedede - 33

Josuke Higashikata - 32

Little Mac - 32

Papyrus - 32

Gordon Ramsay - 31

Arataka Reigen - 27

* * *

"Before we add those amazing points onto your total..." Alexa paused. "Mario, step forth."

Proud of getting the most points out of anyone, Mario stepped forward.

As he approached Alexa, the host pulled out the key and tossed it to the plumber, causing him to jump into the air with excitement.

"Oh-a yeah!" He cheered. "Now it's-a time for me to find that-a hatch before it's-a too late..."

"Darn, so close there Johnny." Captain Falcon groaned. "At least he's a good friend of mine."

"Eh, what's the key for?" Asked Johnny.

"You really forgot?" He sighed. "Well, I'll tell you after these results are in."

Alexa then continued. "Now that Mario's received the prize, it's time to add your points onto your score!"

* * *

***SAFE HAVEN***

JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA - 52

MARIO - 50

WII FIT TRAINER - 47

JOHNNY BRAVO - 46

CAPTAIN FALCON - 45

***DANGER ZONE***

PAPYRUS - 44

KING DEDEDE - 43

ARATAKA REIGEN - 42

SAMUS ARAN - 40

GORDON RAMSAY - 36

LITTLE MAC - 32

* * *

"With these results, it's concluded that Josuke, Mario, Wii Fit Trainer, Johnny, and Captain Falcon are all safe from tonight's elimination!" Alexa announced, giving applause. "However, that also means that Papyrus, King Dedede, Reigen, Samus, Gordon, and Little Mac are all up for elimination! Choose wisely, survivors, and please head off back to your tribe..."

Obeying his command, the eleven survivors wandered off back to the tribe, Josuke in the lead with the most amount of points, with Little Mac lagging behind with the least amount of points.

* * *

**The Hatch: Day 18**

Mario walked around the coastline, he was told by Captain Falcon to head North of the island, as that's where he had found the hatch alongside a few others prior. To show his gratitude, Mario vowed to not vote for Captain Falcon no matter what.

"Where's that-a hatch..." The plumber asked himself, looking around the beach.

The soft, powdery sounds of the sand as he walked along with it soon turned to metallic banging, causing the plumber to jump with shock and look straight down. To his relief, the hatch was right under his feet.

Mario pulled out the key he was awarded and studied the metal hatch, assuming that this was the one Captain Falcon and Alexa were talking about. From the corner of his eye was keyhole, and he jammed the key into it, shaking it a small bit before twisting it to the right, a subtle clicking noise came from the doors.

With a gulp that came from his inexplicable anxiety, he pulled open the unlocked hatch, and inside was darkness.

"I can't see-a thing," he surveyed, and there were no sources of light in the abyss he stared into. "Well, here goes-a nothing."

The jump into the hatch was slightly delayed out of hesitation, but he quickly built up the curiosity and determination to enter.

He fell for a whole second before his feet collided with the ground, it was made of rock as opposed to the metal that the hatch door was made of, and he looked across the pitch-black room.

Thankfully, a faint and ominous hue was seen from across the room, the light was a blood-orange, and it lured Mario over to it.

Upon further inspection, the light was shining upon a stone podium with a small white angel statuette resting on it.

"Is that the idol?" Mario asked himself, reaching out for it and quickly nabbing it.

Now that he was close enough to the light and podium, Mario managed to catch some text on the podium, causing him to lean towards it in an attempt to lead the text, obscured by the darkness.

He could barely make it out, and it got harder to read the further down he read.

"THE REVIVAL IDOL

USE TO REVIVE A..."

The rest of the text was impossible to read, and the light in the room was fixed to the wall, meaning that he couldn't pry it off the wall to read the rest.

Instead of attempting to read it any further, Mario quickly began escaping the room and discovered that a small ladder was at the other side, leading up to the hatch he had opened.

With gusto and anxiety, he jumped onto the ladder and swiftly scurried upwards, not looking back, and with the angel statuette in his right hand.

Before leaving the area, he closed the hatch door, locked them, and retrieved the key, not knowing what to do with it...

* * *

**Laau Haupa: Day 18**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Josuke Higashikata - Wii Fit Trainer - Gordon Ramsay - King Dedede - Johnny Bravo - Captain Falcon - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen

As Mario returned to his tribe, they had once again split into groups, similar to yesterday.

Little Mac, Papyrus, and Josuke were in their usual alliance group.

Captain Falcon, Johnny Bravo, and Gordon Ramsay were together, discussing who to eliminate quietly amongst themselves.

Finally, Reigen, Wii Fit Trainer, Samus, and King Dedede were similarly talking about who to eliminate.

Mario was then quickly approached by the three groups, who were interested in his findings.

"Did you get the idol?" Josuke asked. "What does it look like? Do you know what it does?"

The plumber then lifted the idol into the air, so everybody could see it.

"I might as well show everyone this-a idol. Not only am I-a safe from elimination, but they probably knew I had it anyway! I'll have to use it this-a Tribal Council too, or it will-a expire." - Mario.

Papyrus gawked at it. "AN ANGEL?"

"Whilst I couldn't see what it-a said on the podium due to-a the darkness, I think I know what it does," teased Mario before continuing. "It's the Revival Idol, so maybe it-a brings back someone who got eliminated?"

"Pssh, seems like a waste! The last thing we need is more people to worry about," King Dedede grunted.

"HMM, PERHAPS YOU SHOULD BRING BACK SONIC!" Papyrus recommended. "WASN'T HE UNFAIRLY ELIMINATED?"

Little Mac nodded. "Yeah, I feel like he should get a second chance."

"And add to your alliance?" Samus caught onto their scheme, shaking her head. "Mario, my recommendation is to not use the idol at all, it will just prolong this competition, and especially reviving Sonic would bring back a massive threat. We may not have the best relationship on this island, but nobody, including yourself, will benefit from bringing back anyone."

"I'll... I'll think about it." Mario responded. "You do have-a point."

Johnny raised an eyebrow. "How 'bout this. We bring someone back, then we vote em' off the next Tribal Council!"

His snarky chuckling was cut short by Wii Fit Trainer scalding him. "That's just cruel! Besides, he may get enough points to be immune in the next Tribal Council."

"Oh, yea..." He pouted. "Yeah, just throw the thing away!"

Mario eventually gave in to the majority and agreed. "Okay, I won't-a use it! Moving on from that, what happened whilst I was-a gone?"

"We were all discussing who to eliminate, do you have anyone on your mind?" Samus interrogated.

The plumber profusely shook his head. "I-a don't know. I was-a too focused on getting the idol that I forgot that I had to-a vote someone tonight."

"Go ahead and say it already!" Dedede commanded. "You have the second-most amount of points, just go on and say it! We all know that somebody's in the back of ya' head."

Without even realizing, Mario DID have someone in the back of his head, although he was originally too scared to say it, because once he'd say it, it would be like signing a death warrant. Despite this, Dedede's pestering, as well as the reward of eliminating that person caused him to reveal it.

Hesitantly, he pointed towards Samus.

"Sorry Samus, but I feel like you're a too big of-a threat." He confessed. "You've been a hassle for-a many people since the very beginning!"

"Now hol' on there. She hasn't done a single sin during the time I was with her!" Dedede defended. "I don't care for this chick, but you definitely got the wrong idea there."

Gordon held his hand up. "I can confirm that she's nothing but trouble."

Seeing someone who was also in danger of elimination caused Samus to pursue him, determined to stay in the competition.

"The team naturally split into two factions following the first elimination of the game." She began, glaring at Gordon and Mario. "Due to this, I had no choice but to try and coordinate with my group to eliminate people from the other group, otherwise we'd all be eliminated. It wasn't personal, only Squidward took it somewhat personally and well, he's now eliminated. I no longer have any gripes with Captain Falcon, the one I originally tried to eliminate, but considering that Gordon and Mario are attempting to eliminate me over something I was forced to do is ridiculous. Talk about trouble-making..."

"Trouble-making?" Queried Gordon. "Oh *CENSORED* off, will you? You're the one making trouble around here."

"Any other arguments than petty swearing?" Samus asked, highlighting the immaturity of his words.

Gordon simply put his hand over his face, frustrated.

Wii Fit Trainer sighed. "I guess she's right. I hated splitting into factions, but I had to vote for the others if I wanted to be safe!"

"Exactly," Reigen agreed. "Honestly, I don't think Gordon should drift to the end, sure he's not a powerful threat like a few others that I won't name, but he's definitely going to make it to the end."

"He's pretty immature, so I'm going to vote for him myself, I'm not just going to let his comment on me being nothing but "trouble" stand," said Samus.

Gordon was beginning to get flummoxed at this point, and it showed on his face. He knew that things were going grim for him now that he looked like a fool in front of Samus, he shouldn't have agreed...

But there was hope on his side, as Papyrus declared otherwise to Samus. "HANG ON!"

"Hmm?"

"CHEFS MUST STICK TOGETHER!" He yelled. "AND I THINK YOU SHOULD VOTE SOMEBODY ELSE INSTEAD."

"Like who?" She questioned.

"EEERM..." He gazed at the others who were up for elimination. "WELL, THERE ARE OPTIONS, THAT'S ALL I WISH TO SAY!"

Gordon felt even more screwed than he already did, now that Papyrus was making poor arguments for him.

"I'm stumped..." Little Mac admitted.

"JOSUKE, LITTLE MAC, PLEASE DON'T VOTE FOR GORDON!" He cried.

"What's with this skeleton and him being so attached to me? Is it seriously because I'm also a chef? Whatever it is, I'm almost grateful for him not voting against me, though he's God awful at coming up with reasons why, but it's not like you could best Samus in a debate. She is very threatening..." - Gordon Ramsay.

Josuke shrugged. "Well... what do you guys think?"

He turned to Captain Falcon and Mario for their opinions.

"I... don't know myself." Captain Falcon admitted.

Gordon was surprised to hear such a thing, after all, he and Captain Falcon had a strong alliance back then, and now he's stumped on whether to vote him or the person who had tried to vote him off prior?

"Obviously I'm going to vote Samus, I just don't want her knowing, because I don't want her to have anything against me again, or I'm screwed. What's really going to be a pain in the butt is getting Johnny to vote her, because I know how stubborn he can be when the situation involves women." - Captain Falcon.

"I'm-a going to-a vote Samus," Mario announced. "I don't know about you."

"Sorry Gordon, but I think Reigen and Samus have the right idea. I love your cooking, though, don't get me wrong!" Wii Fit Trainer reassured.

King Dedede laughed. "Well ain't this some predicament. It's almost a perfect split between Gordon and Samus, but I think I'm gonna go and vote for Gordon. Now that Papyrus is the chef, he ain't so special."

"Not to alarm you all, but I think it's time for us to go to Tribal Council now. It's nearly dark." Josuke reminded.

"Well, good luck in-a Tribal Council." Mario gave a small smile. "Let's-a head up!"

The eleven survivors split into small groups and walked up to Tribal Council, still discussing who to eliminate.

"Johnny, I know who to vote." Captain Falcon leaned in closely. "Let's vote Samus."

"Huh? Oh c'mon, I get that it's the Merge or whatever, but do we really have to make hard choices this early?!" Johnny folded his arms. "Can't we just vote that Gordon guy?"

He denied the request. "I'm sorry but we can't let a threat like Samus stay any longer!"

"Oh, fine," he grumbled. "Just don't tell her that I voted for her."

"Phew..." Captain Falcon sighed under his breath, full of relief.

Meanwhile, Papyrus pestered Josuke and Little Mac further about Gordon.

"PLEASE GUYS, VOTE FOR SAMUS INSTEAD! IT SHALL BE WORTH IT," he pleaded.

"Well, if you're so passionate to keep Gordon, we'll go through with it! That's what alliances do." Little Mac accepted.

"Not sure if it's the right choice, but Samus seems a lot more of a threat than Gordon..." Admitted Josuke. "I guess I'll do it."

Papyrus gave a confident grin as he marched over to Tribal Council alongside everyone else. This would be the first time in Survivor where every single contestant went to a Tribal Council at the same time...

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 18**

To their surprise, Tribal Council had been renovated since the merge. A fresh coat of grey paint covered the wooden walkways and floors of the area, making it look a lot more drab yet luxurious than usual. There were more torches scattered around, and they shined brighter than ever before. The final big change came from the stumps, which had been upgraded into two benches that just barely provided enough room for eleven, and next to the benches were the torches of the survivors, which were unchanged. A third bench was also present and was located right next to the walkway that the eliminated walked down, it was theorized by many to be the Jury bench.

After cramming themselves onto the bench, Alexa soon appeared, his usual grin on his face.

"Do you like the renovations?" He asked without giving enough time for an answer. "I like to hammer in your position as those who made it to the Merge by changing things up a bit. You're no longer on stumps, the whole place got a nice fresh coating of paint, and there are more lights!"

"Renovations or not, this place still looks crummy," Reigen shuddered as he observed his surroundings.

Alexa rolled his eyes before beginning his first question. "Captain Falcon. As the survivor with the fifth-most points and the one who is just barely safe, how are you finding this point gimmick?"

"It's pretty nerve-wracking to say the least," he started. "Not only are you given a random amount of points from that Roulette thing, but you also get a LOT of points from these challenges. I don't think many people will be safe for long, even I won't be."

The host nodded with understanding. "I see. What about you, Papyrus? You're on the opposite end of the spectrum, as you're just barely in the danger zone as the one with the sixth-most points."

"A VERY INTERESTING MECHANIC TO THIS SHOW, I MUST SAY. HOWEVER, IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT THE TOP FIVE ARE THE ONLY ONES SAFE INSTEAD OF THE TOP SIX!" He stomped his feet on the wooden floor. "IT'S RIDICULOUS! I'M ONLY A COUPLE OF POINTS AWAY FROM BEING SAFE, SO WHY NOT A PITY IMMUNITY?"

"Well, I feel like having more than half of the people remaining be immune is a bit much, even if it's only a one-man difference," Alexa explained. "Speaking of which. Samus, how does it feel participating in a challenge for nobody but yourself?"

"Refreshing." She stated. "Cooperation is very important, but not having to rely on others makes things a lot easier, and I have high hopes that it will pay off soon enough. I've already gotten a lot of points, and I'm only in danger of elimination because of the Roulette."

"Yeah, the Roulette will be quite bothersome or useful in the future, it all depends on your luck!" Alexa then wrung his hands. "Now, I bet my bottom dollar you're all itching to begin this first Merge council, so let's get down to business and vote."

Each survivor stood up and voted in order...

Samus Aran: If I didn't pursue you and attempt to get you eliminated, then I would be out myself, so this is my only shot of staying. Judging by how everyone's voted, I'll barely win. (Gordon Ramsay)

Gordon Ramsay: Not going to lie, I've never been more nervous on this show until now. I mean, at least I'll be jury, but being the first one isn't something that I'll just accept. (Samus Aran)

Mario: I'm-a sorry Samus, but you've-a caused me and others so-a much trouble that I just can't-a forget about it. (Samus Aran)

Wii Fit Trainer: Your cooking is great, but you may just drift to the end and pose a threat then if I don't get rid of you. After all, everyone tends to eye the most powerful in terms of candidates for elimination... (Gordon Ramsay)

Papyrus: I HAVE SAID IT TWICE AND I SHALL SAY IT THRICE: CHEFS MUST STICK TOGETHER! THANKS TO LEARNING HIS COOKING PATTERNS AND TECHNIQUES, GORDON HAS HELPED ME BECOME ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED CHEFS ON THE ISLAND, AND AS A THANK YOU, I SHALL PROTECT HIM FROM ELIMINATION! (Samus Aran)

Arataka Reigen: Sorry, Gordon, but if anyone's going to drift to the end without being considered for elimination, it'll be me... hopefully. That's what I predict, anyway! (Gordon Ramsay)

"Survivors, before I read out the votes, would anyone like to play an idol?" Alexa questioned, peering at the others.

...

"I-a have this angel statuette!" Mario called out.

Alexa nodded. "Aha! I knew you'd find it, all according to plan. However, the idol will have no effect on tonight's Tribal Council, so we shall discuss it after tonight's elimination!"

Knowing this, Mario's theory of it being used to bring back an eliminated contestant was now more confident than ever.

...

"I also have an idol that I wish to play," Samus revealed, causing Gordon to gulp.

Alexa squinted his eyes. "Two idols in one night? Wow! Let's take a looksie at that idol, shall we?"

To the surprise of everyone, she stood up and handed him a wooden idol in the shape of a skull.

"Aha! The Idol of Curses." He analyzed. "Using this idol, you will become completely immune for this Tribal Council. However, for the next THREE Tribal Councils following this one, all votes towards you will be doubled. Unlike other idols, you have to use it once you choose to play it, though, with this one, you have the opportunity to use it at a later council. Do you wish to use the idol and activate the curse?"

She smirked, that type of advantage was the push she needed to survive tonight's Tribal Council, and she gave a nod of approval. "It's my only option, so I will choose to play it."

As soon as he heard the description of the idol, Gordon hung his head with despair, he had officially been eliminated before the votes were even read aloud.

"Very well," said Alexa. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

...

"Okay, now it's time for me to read out the votes!" Announced Alexa.

***VOTING TIME***

First vote goes to Samus Aran, which is nullified.

Second vote goes to Samus Aran, which is nullified.

Third vote goes to Samus Aran, which is nullified.

Fourth vote goes to Samus Aran, which is nullified. (Samus can't help but give a sigh of relief over her safety.)

Fifth vote goes to Samus Aran, which is nullified. (Gordon groans.)

Sixth vote goes to Samus Aran, which is nullified.

Seventh vote goes to Samus Aran, which is nullified.

Eighth vote goes to Gordon Ramsay. One vote Gordon.

Ninth vote goes to Gordon Ramsay. Two votes Gordon.

Tenth vote goes to Gordon Ramsay. Three votes Gordon.

"To nobody's surprise, our first member of Jury and the tenth one eliminated from Survivor Crossover is... Gordon Ramsay!" He revealed. "Gordon, please hand me your torch, your time is done..."

"Well played." Gordon shook his head with disbelief.

"I-IMPOSSIBLE!" Cried Papyrus. "THIS IS SIMPLY... IMPOSSIBLE!"

"Since when did she get that-a idol?!" Mario froze up, in shock over the events.

Gordon stood up and retrieved his torch, walking over to Alexa.

He passed it to him, almost as if he was in a hurry, and turned to his tribe.

"Well, that was a bloody nightmare from start to finish. I don't think I would've won that even if she didn't have the idol. I'll keep an eye on you all though since I will be jury," Gordon placed his hands on his hips. "Where will I be staying, Alexa?"

"Like a motel but high quality," he summed it up.

"Thank *CENSORED* Christ for that." He said before walking off.

"Bye Gordon!" Mario waved.

Captain Falcon yelled over too. "See ya around, Gordon!"

Soon, everyone was yelling bye at him, causing the chef to smile as he walked down the walkway...

Alexa then turned to the tribe, specifically Mario.

"Now, about that Idol of Revival..." He said. "You have been given the opportunity to bring back one eliminated contestant OTHER than a jury member of your choice. Whether that be Eggman, Gruntilda, Peter, Soldier, Sonic, Wario, Mr. Krabs, Geoffrey, or Squidward. Who will it be?"

The lights felt like they had dimmed from the intensity of the situation, and Mario thought carefully about who to bring back.

...

...

"I'll bring back-a nobody!" He said.

"N-nobody?" Alexa went blank. "Errm, what? I didn't think you'd err, say that."

After a minute of awkward silence between the two, Alexa groaned.

"Okay, fine! I was going to have it be really cool with them returning the next day, but I'll pick it myself!" He proclaimed bitterly.

"Well in that-a cas-"

"Nope, your opportunity is gone!" Alexa grumbled.

"Oh... okay." He pouted in response.

After the mildly immature moment, Alexa concluded the Tribal Council. "Gordon definitely hated a lot of the stuff here, and he was probably one of the more foul-mouthed contestants too. Despite this, he was rather strong for a simple old human, and his status of the first Jury member will forever be legendary. Goodnight, survivors!"

* * *

Gordon's Last Words: "Did I have fun? Not really. Was it an experience I'll never forget? Yes, but definitely not for the right reasons. Did I see myself winning? A little bit, but I feel like I'm more fit to run my own cooking competition than to partake in a survival one..."

* * *

**VOTES**

Samus's Voters (NULLIFIED): Gordon Ramsay, Mario, Papyrus, Josuke Higashikata, Little Mac, Captain Falcon, Johnny Bravo.

Gordon's Voters: Samus Aran, Arataka Reigen, Wii Fit Trainer, King Dedede

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Wario. (USED)

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon. (USED)

Idol of Mirroring - Wii Fit Trainer.

Idol of Curses - Samus. (USED - CURSE WEARS OFF IN 3 MORE TRIBAL COUNCILS)

The Revival Idol - Mario. (USED)

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

Laau Haupa (Yellow Team)

\- Mario

\- Papyrus

\- Samus Aran

\- Josuke Higashikata

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- King Dedede

\- Johnny Bravo

\- Captain Falcon

\- Little Mac

\- Arataka Reigen


	13. Episode 10 Part 1 - A Familiar Foe!

Episode 10 1/2: A Familiar Foe!

**Tribal Council: Day 19**

As the sun rose in the sky, cascading its light upon Tribal Council, Alexa sat down eight people on the benches that the survivors usually sat down on. These eight people consisted entirely of previous eliminees.

"Gruntilda Winkybunion, eliminated second...

Peter Griffin, eliminated third...

Soldier, eliminated fourth...

Sonic, eliminated fifth...

Wario, eliminated sixth...

Mr. Krabs, eliminated seventh...

Geoffrey Butler, eliminated eighth...

And Squidward Tentacles, eliminated ninth...

The eight of you eliminees have been brought back here for a chance of redemption," Alexa revealed. "Whilst Gordon was eliminated recently and thus cannot return, and whilst Eggman mysteriously vanished and thus cannot participate in this event, the rest of you will have a crack at rejoining. Originally, Mario was going to be the one to choose who to bring back, but he JUST had to make things boring, which was too lame for me to accept."

"Rejoining the show? That's friggin' awesome!" Peter beamed. "Just remember that I'm not physically prepared to do any big challenge right about now, I just had breakfast."

"Well, unfortunate for you then fatty," heckled Gruntilda. "It's not like you stood a chance anyway, not against me!"

Geoffrey rubbed his chin. "Would rejoining this competition after borderline giving up be a good idea? Well, if I did, then I'm definitely not going to throw away my second chance at victory!"

"VICTORY SHALL BE MINE! CONSIDER MY TIME ELIMINATED AS AN AMERICAN HIBERNATION, SO WHEN I RETURN, I WILL KICK AS MUCH ASS AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE!" Soldier saluted to himself.

Sonic grinned. "A second chance would be great for me! I was eliminated by sheer luck, so hopefully, I can beat this challenge and prove myself worthy enough to have another go."

"If-a someone here is getting another chance to-a win then it's-a me!" Wario spat.

"Oh please, I bet Alexa felt SO bad for lettin' the rightful winner slip away, he decided to give ol' Krabs a second shot for himself," Mr. Krabs wrung his hands with pleasure. "That cold hard cash and hotel is mine!"

Squidward folded his arms. "How about we just pay attention to the challenge instead of day-dreaming about the chance to rejoin?"

"Well?" Sonic moved his eyes over to Alexa, who was paying attention to their conversations.

Eventually, he snapped out of the observing and continued. "There won't be a challenge to decide who gets brought back. Instead, I held a poll last night to see WHO should be brought back, and just under ten-thousand people submitted within twelve hours, which is rather impressive."

"Quit the gloating and-a show us then!" Wario demanded. "Whoever doesn't vote for-a me is going to be punched."

"Good luck hunting down every last individual who didn't vote for you to return," Geoffrey rolled his eyes. "It will be a task for sure."

"I also looked at a LOT of the reasoning for the votes, and I will mention them as I reveal who got what amount of points." Said Alexa.

He then grabbed a nearby laptop and gazed at the results again, refreshing his memory before he put it back down.

After doing so, Alexa shot his finger towards Gruntilda Winkybunion.

"Gruntilda, after being eliminated second at a POWERFUL 11-1, which only happened due to Geoffrey's triple vote advantage at the time, you have received the LEAST amount of votes out of the eight of you here. A very unfortunate twenty-three votes, to be exact," he revealed. "Reasons include that your character brings incredible humor and comedy to the table, and there's no reasoning that talks about anything other than... err, humor."

"Grunty's not pleased, I am not a clown! People who are too ignorant to look at my amazing skills and menacing power simply make me frown." Gruntilda grumbled.

The host then pointed to the elimination walkway. "Unfortunately for you Gruntilda, now that it's been confirmed that you are unable to rejoin, you will have to leave Tribal Council yet again!"

She gawked at the embarrassing reveal, and she bitterly admitted defeat, which was evident by her silently stomping off.

"Jeez, this is pretty tense," Peter gulped. "I hope I'm not next..."

Soldier simply wheezed with laughter. "BWAHAHA! TAKE THAT YOU WICKED WIZARD!"

Unfortunately for the taunting mercenary, Alexa's finger then went to him next.

"Eh?" He grunted with confusion.

"Soldier, whilst having a considerable jump in votes from Gruntilda at one-hundred and forty, you have received the second least amount of votes," Alexa elaborated. "Reasons include humor, and for your bombastic and crazy personality, which can be seen as a compliment in this case."

"HOORAY! ONE-HUNDRED AND SOMETHING PATRIOTS ARE ON MY SIDE!" He posed with joy. "HUZZAH! I'M BACK IN THE GAME!"

Slowly and unfortunately, Alexa shook his head at the mercenary.

"Oh..." He pouted, slowly walking down the walkway.

"Now that those two imbeciles are out of the way, things may actually be a bit more difficult to predict, I assume?" Geoffrey raised an eyebrow.

Whilst he agreed, the third contestant that he pointed towards was... Wario.

"WAAAAH?!" He gasped. "B-BUT..."

"I'm sorry, but although you made yet another considerable jump to three-hundred and sixty-five votes, it still doesn't cut it at ALL," stated Alexa. "Reasons include, once again, humor, a comedically brutal personality, and for your buck-wild strength. Though, I imagine the reasons against you are probably more detailed than that."

Mr. Krabs chuckled. "Arkarkarkark! Y'know what they say Wario, losers never prosper!"

"THAT'S NOT EVEN A SAYING..." He snapped before stomping off, not looking back at all. "YOU-A VOTERS MADE THE WRONG CHOICE!"

As he disappeared into the trees, Alexa then observed the final five. "Now things are going to get real. Mr. Krabs, Peter Griffin, Geoffrey Butler, Sonic, and Squidward Tentacles. Out of you five, the one with the least amount of votes is..."

His finger sprung towards Squidward.

"Wha?" Squidward's jaw dropped upon hearing that. He was less of a favorite than his greedy manager?

"With a pretty impressive seven-hundred and ninety-nine votes, you shouldn't be too hard on yourself," Alexa reassured. "Reasons for voting for you include your realistic and down-to-earth personality, which some people find either relatable or entertaining. Not to sound biased or anything, but if people find you relatable... yeesh."

"W-what's that supposed to mean?" The marine animal interrogated.

Alexa quickly backpedaled on his claim. "N-nevermind, just leave Tribal Council!"

With defeat lingering in his footsteps, Squidward slowly exited Tribal Council, leaving the final four.

"This is pretty tense, I didn't know people liked me so much!" Peter admitted. "Well, actually, it's not like there's much competition if I'm more liked than a witch that looks a little bit like my daughter."

Alexa then pointed towards Mr. Krabs next.

"NOOOOO!" He cried. "WHY ME?!"

The host shrugged. "Whilst I don't know the full details to people not liking you enough, you got a pretty good nine-hundred and fifty-seven votes! Reasons include your personality and strive to win the money being incredibly entertaining to watch, as well as you being pretty decent socially outside of the whole Wario spiel. Unfortunately, not enough people agreed."

"PLEASE LET ME STA-"

"Nope."

"...PLE-"

"Nada."

...

"...Fine." Krabs gave up, swiftly waddling off.

Then there were only three: Geoffrey Butler, Sonic, and Peter Griffin.

Alexa soon pointed towards Peter Griffin after taking yet another gander at the results.

"Aww crap," he moaned. "At least I was pretty close."

"Close you were! One-thousand, eight-hundred, and sixty-six votes," applauded Alexa. "Now, your reasons are pretty varied. Ranging from you being an entertaining individual, a very relatable person in terms of their life outside of the show, and just because people felt that your blindside was unfair back then. Despite all of these major factors, none of them were just quite enough for you to return."

"That's okay, at least I got a pretty big following!" He said, almost cockily, before walking off. "Cya, rabbit and British guy!"

After he disappeared, Alexa continued on to the final results of who would be returning.

"Geoffrey Butler... you have been claimed to be yet another relatable survivor with incredible patience and entertaining and occasional cynicism, and, not only that, but you giving up on defending yourself on the night of your elimination has disappointed a lot of people...

Sonic the Hedgehog... you have been claimed to be a fun, cocky and strong survivor who was unfairly eliminated due to a rock draw on that fateful day. People want you to have a second shot, and some people have even admitted to voting you over their actual favorites because of how your elimination was seen to be lame. Long story short, rock draws gave me a lot of backlashes..." He said. "Now, only one of you will be rejoining Survivor, and the votes aren't as close as you'd imagine, for one simple reason."

When Alexa pointed his finger, it landed to Sonic.

"Huh?" Sonic gasped.

"Sonic, you didn't give up on defending yourself like Geoffrey, which is what made you the most voted for contestant at three-thousand, one-hundred and fifty-one votes, whilst Geoffrey only had two-thousand and three votes! Welcome back to Survivor, Sonic..."

In response, he cheered. "Aww right! Sorry Geoff, but I'm going all out if I want to win this competition."

"That's fair, I'm moreso glad that people enjoyed my presence. Maybe if there's a next time, I shall give my all and attempt to look out for myself only, I'd still be here if I did that prior. In hindsight... going back to the Banks family is not a very good ending to my story," he chuckled. "But hey, congratulations Master Sonic."

Alexa applauded as Geoffrey left the Tribal Council, leaving him and Sonic.

"Now that you've returned, I will give you forty points for when you return! Otherwise, you'd be at an unfair disadvantage, and whilst you're still in the danger zone, you could quickly become safe again if you play your cards right," he explained. "Now, go to the Rockies of the island, that is where your tribe, Laau Haupa, is."

Sonic nodded as he dashed off into the trees, Alexa scratching his head and turning to one of the staff members.

"Do you have any update on where Eggman is?" He questioned.

The bodyguard shook his head. "Nope, not anywhere."

"Strange..." Said Alexa. "Oh well, it doesn't matter! As long as he's fine it's not our problem."

* * *

**Laau Haupa: Day 19**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Josuke Higashikata - Wii Fit Trainer - King Dedede - Johnny Bravo - Captain Falcon - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen - Sonic (Hasn't arrived yet.)

"No spirit?" Reigen said to himself, observing Josuke from behind a rock. "I know you have some secret ghost doing some of your work. That hammer ball back in day one made me realize that you have some sort of ghost working for you. Maybe you're an Esper like Mob..."

He watched as Josuke was talking to Papyrus and Little Mac, the trio was laughing.

"C'mon, there has to be something that points to him being an Esper..." He steadied his focus.

Suddenly, Wii Fit Trainer came up from behind, confused at his spying. "What are you doing?"

In shock, Reigen jumped back against the rock. "GAH! Don't they tell you not to spy on someone!"

"..." Wii Fit Trainer tilted her head. "Isn't that what you're doing?"

"Well, yeah, but for good reason," he justified, turning his head back to Josuke and his friends. "That kid has something strange about him, remember when he picked up that hammer without even touching it?! I think he even held a dodgeball like he was some sort of Psychic or Esper!"

She shook her head with a grin. "Only a few people haven't seen Josuke's powers yet, I assume?"

"No, I haven't!" Reigen responded.

"To be honest, I can't put it into words. Just talk to him about it, he seems nice enough of a person to let you in on his Stand, as he calls it. He's shown it to me and the others before," Wii Fit Trainer recommended. "And stop the whole spying thing, it makes you look like a creep."

Wiping the dust from his clothes, the "Psychic" gave a thumbs up. "Well, if he's going to let me in on his secret, then I'll get it out of him! Thank you for the clarification."

Confidence came over him as he walked up towards Josuke, who soon stopped talking to Little Mac and Papyrus and focused towards him.

"Oh, hey Reigen! We were just talking about our lives and such," explained Josuke. "It's pretty funny, wait until you hear about the brother of Papyrus and the stuff he does."

"Talking about your lives?" Reigen queried. "In that case, I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I asked about your mysterious powers. I've seen you lift objects and even throw them without touching them..."

He sat down and groaned. "How many times am I gonna have to tell everyone about my powers? Okay, I got this thing called a Stand, which I got when I was very young, and it allows me to pick things up and throw them. Think of it like your own personal ghost that's a manifestation of your spirit."

"I've heard things mildly similar, but go on." He beckoned.

Josuke continued, "My stand allows me to heal things, whether it be a broken vase or wounds. I can't heal illnesses or myself, however, so that's the tradeoff."

"Sounds interesting, care to demonstrate?" Reigen asked.

With a nod, Josuke retrieved a slightly large rock from next to his feet. "CRAZY DIAMOND!" He called, summoning the Stand.

He used the stand to grab the rock from his palm and slam it against the ground at an incredible speed, causing the rock to break into three, almost equal shards.

After doing so, he used Crazy Diamond to punch one of the shards of rock. "DO-RAAA!" It cried, albeit nobody could hear the Stand's warcry, nor could they see it.

Reigen watched with intrigued eyes as the rock shards joined together, reforming the exact same rock.

"I-incredible!" He gasped. "I'm surprised you haven't used this more often to help you with these challenges!"

"In fact... I'm more concerned that Josuke may make it into the finals with ease if he continues to dominate the challenges. He's already the one with the most points, and with that "Stand" of his, he may just stay on top for a good while. That's why I gotta target him as soon as he drops out of there, and I'm sure the others would agree!" - Arataka Reigen.

Josuke shrugged. "I haven't had much opportunity to properly use it. In fact, I've never used the healing ability in a challenge before."

Reigen rubbed his chin, taking in the knowledge. "I see, I see. Well, thank you for letting me know of this."

He began walking off as Josuke responded with a simple "Goodbye!", Reigen looked pleasantly satisfied on the outside but knowing that Josuke had a powerful spirit that he couldn't see was intimidating to Reigen.

"Don't you think he seemed a little bit weird in that conversation?" Noticed Little Mac. "His tone was a little... off."

"OH WELL, IT'S LIKELY NOTHING," Papyrus grinned. "NOW, BACK TO MY LAZYBONES OF A BROTHER."

Wii Fit Trainer's ears perked upon hearing the word "lazy", causing her to turn around and face Papyrus. "Lazy?"

"YES. MY BROTHER SANS, TO BE EXACT!" He clarified. "HE OCCASIONALLY RUNS A HOTDOG BUSINESS, CRACKS THE MORE-THAN-OCCASIONAL PUN, AND WHEN WE HAVE TO DO SERIOUS BUSINESS, HE'S AWFUL AT IT! IT'S TIRING TO ME, BUT THESE TWO SEEM TO GET A KICK OUT OF IT."

"Sheesh, you sure he won't get mad at you for gossiping about him behind his back? That is if he's watching this show," she said.

Papyrus shrugged off the concern. "IT DOESN'T MATTER, HE DOESN'T CARE MUCH AT ALL ABOUT THIS STUFF! IN FACT... HE WAS MEANT TO COME TO THIS COMPETITION INSTEAD OF ME!"

"Wha... he was?!" Little Mac gasped with shock. "That's news to me! What happened?"

"WELL, HE WAS TOO LAZY TO COME TO THIS COMPETITION, OBVIOUSLY. LUCKILY HE GAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ME AND AFTER SOME TALKING, I BECAME THE ONE TO GO TO THIS SHOW, AS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN FROM THE VERY BEGINNING!" He explained before posing. "AFTER ALL, I'M THE BROTHER THAT GOT TO THE MERGE! HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE GONE OUT AFTER A FEW DAYS... AT MOST."

Wii Fit Trainer nodded. "Good thing you managed to take the opportunity! Laziness should not be a reason to miss out on so much money and luxury at your fingertips, so your brother is certainly missing out. I'm sure he could get as far as you if he put the effort in, but it's his loss."

"INDEED, BUT IT'S GIVEN LEEWAY FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, TO WIN THE SHOW!" The skeleton cackled with joy. "IT'S JUST UNFORTUNATE THAT GORDON LOST SO SOON. THOSE IDOLS ARE BEYOND UNFAIR!" He whined.

Little Mac sighed. "Yeah, Gordon going out was probably sad for you, but I'm glad it hasn't crushed your spirits. I personally wasn't too fond of him, he seemed kinda... negative?"

Josuke pointed to the fitness trainer, the talk of idols reminding him of how Geoffrey gave his idol to her. "Don't you still have that idol?"

"Yeah, I do, and I'll probably use it like when any other person would, and that's when I'm about to be eliminated," she responded, pulling it out. "Looks like a mirror, so maybe it will reflect all votes towards me or something?"

"That definitely does look like it would reflect votes," claimed Little Mac, eyeing it. "Keep it safe."

"Don't worry, nobody's getting their hands on it!" The girl beamed before turning away to walk off. "See ya later."

Meanwhile, Captain Falcon, King Dedede, and Johnny were both looking at the large screen, crudely planted in the middle of the tribe:

* * *

*SAFE HAVEN*

JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA - 52

MARIO - 50

WII FIT TRAINER - 47

JOHNNY BRAVO - 46

CAPTAIN FALCON - 45

* * *

*DANGER ZONE*

PAPYRUS - 44

KING DEDEDE - 43

ARATAKA REIGEN - 42

SAMUS ARAN - 40

LITTLE MAC - 32

* * *

"Feels good bein' safe," Johnny grinned. "Just how ol' me likes it."

King Dedede scoffed. "Oh please! Y'all just got lucky with those points, a king like me should have been at the top, but I'm down there chillin' with the weaklings?!"

"Hey, you still got a Roulette and challenge yet, so I'm not going to celebrate my placement until I'm at the top of that leaderboard!" Captain Falcon gave a smug grin. "Cuz' that's my key to winning this whole thing!"

"Psssh, sure, I'll probably get more than you by next Tribal Council," Dedede roared with laughter. "Sorry, but that's just how it is~."

"That bird boy is ridiculous! I've seen him around a couple o' times before we got stuck on this island, and he's just a cocky brute that thinks he's hot because he can punch things! If I had ma' hammer and ma' Gordos with me, then I would put that lil' racer in his place. Looks like it'll be just a little bit more difficult than that though, but not TOO difficult, bwahaha!" - King Dedede.

"I doubt that," he responded. "I'll still be top five whilst you'll be in the bottom five!"

As they mocked one another, Johnny raised his eyebrow, realizing something peculiar. "Hang on, say that again?"

"Huh? I'll be in top five whilst he'll be in the bottom five..." Captain Falcon hesitantly repeated.

"But it's the bottom six," Johnny said with confusion.

"No, it ain't ya idiot!" Dedede insulted as he turned his head towards the screen, his eyes flaring.

Captain Falcon observed the king's facial expression before quickly turning his head towards the screen, and his eyes flared too.

The large screen showed something unusual:

* * *

*SAFE HAVEN*

JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA - 52

MARIO - 50

WII FIT TRAINER - 47

JOHNNY BRAVO - 46

CAPTAIN FALCON - 45

* * *

*DANGER ZONE*

PAPYRUS - 44

KING DEDEDE - 43

ARATAKA REIGEN - 42

SAMUS ARAN - 40

SONIC - 40

LITTLE MAC - 32

* * *

"What's with Sonic?" Captain Falcon scratched his shoulder. "Preeeeetty sure he got booted off a while ago."

"Probably some sorta glitch," Dedede commented. "Whatever, it makes me look like I'm above four people instead of three!"

Mario and Samus, both in the distance, quickly drew their eyes to the screen as they heard the commotion happen.

"What's-a going on?" The plumber asked, looking at the screen and catching Sonic's name under Samus. "Huh? Why's-a Sonic there?"

"I already said it's a glitch!" Dedede repeated. "I ain't gonna repeat it again."

"Strange how Alexa would accidentally "add" Sonic with forty points, maybe it's more than a mistake or even a glitch," remarked Samus. "Maybe Sonic really is in this competition again, although I dread having to deal with someone as fast and as strong as him. He's pretty annoying, too."

Suddenly, another person appeared from behind them, who asked the same question. "Hey! What's Sonic doing on the leaderboards? Forty points is lame too, he should have more..."

"For the last time..." Grumbled Dedede, turning towards the figure. "WHAAAA?!"

His bellowing alerted the attention to everyone else. Standing right next to the group, a short blue Hedgehog, with dust trailing behind where he ran.

"Did'ja miss me?" Sonic grinned.

"SONIC!" Little Mac cheered, sprinting up. "How are you back?!"

"Maybe that plumber guy used his idol to get him back?" Johnny guessed.

"But I didn't-a use it," said Mario. "Did he bring someone-a back anyway?"

The hedgehog backed up. "Hey, I just got back, gimme some space and I'll tell you what happened!"

"Well, Mario's right! Alexa hosted a poll for a bunch of viewers of this show, and I got the most votes, so I returned!" He shrugged. "Looks like most people agreed that those rocks were totally not O.K."

"In that case, welcome back," Wii Fit Trainer smiled. "Rock draws sound scary from what I've heard, so I hope we never have to face them again."

"If people are too indecisive, we just may, so I would be ready in case that happens if I were you," advised Samus. "The chance of you being picked to be eliminated by the rocks would only get higher and higher the fewer people there are."

Sonic snickered, "I think we all know that one, Captain Obvious."

Johnny raised his arm, countering the statement. "Well, I didn't!"

"Well you're just an idiot then," Reigen said coldly.

"Callin' Johnny an idiot? I may just forgive ya' for stealin' my points last challenge, Reigen." Dedede chuckled.

"You didn't happen to have food this early, did you?" The hedgehog questioned, pointing to his chest. "I'm starving!"

"WELL SONIC, NOW THAT YOU'RE BACK ON THIS TRIBE, I SHALL GIVE YOU A SLIGHTLY BIGGER PORTION AS A LITTLE GIFT!" Papyrus declared.

Dedede's jaw dropped at the sentence. "Hell no is he gettin' more food than me!"

"It's unbelievable that Sonic returned! I felt like him leaving was my fault, but it really makes me feel better to know that he has a second shot. I wonder if he's going to rejoin our alliance, since a four-man team is unstoppable!" - Little Mac.

"Sheesh, it seems a little bit more bearable now that a lot of people are gone now, especially Wario. The fact that I got to sit back and relax for almost ten days before coming back is a huge advantage, as I'm refreshed and ready to go! I just wonder where Eggman went though, I hope he's not up to no good... again... as he is every year..." - Sonic.

Sonic's return to the tribe was a triumphant one, which surprised many of the survivors in Laau Haupa. Many were happy that he got to get a second chance following a rock draw, whilst others found his return threatening to their chances of winning. However, the Roulette alongside the next challenge will judge whether he becomes safe or not, and the same would be said for the other survivors in the merge...

* * *

**Roulette: Day 19**

Just like their first Roulette, the eleven survivors lined up on the beach and awaited Alexa to give them the call to choose their boxes. The only difference this time was the fact that Gordon was gone, and Sonic was now there instead.

"I hope I get another twenty again," Josuke hoped. "Then I'll be safe for a long time!"

"The last thing ya need is more points, kid!" Spat Dedede. "Give some royalty like me a chance, because these past twenty or so days haven't been too kind to ol' me."

Johnny chuckled at his arrogance. "Listen here Pingu, the only thing that gets you respect around here is being royally handsome. Take it from me, for example."

Upon hearing the insult, Dedede nudged up to Johnny, anger in his eyes. "Say that again..." He demanded.

"Talk about a battle of-a egos," Sonic sighed, watching them both fight with disinterest. "I've seen better fights over spilled milk."

"Yeah? Well I'll spill his milk in a second!" Johnny threatened Dedede.

The penguin raised an eyebrow, his angry frown still not changing. "That doesn't even make sense!"

"...Err, it will in a second." Johnny began getting nervous over his insults after realizing that they didn't have logic to them.

"Okay, okay, break it up you two, because it's time to get this show on the road!" Declared Alexa with joy. "It's time for your second Roulette, and the points you can get from these crates may be a little bit different compared to last time... just going to say it now: a few of those crates will contain negative points, to which I think you know what that means."

Wii Fit Trainer put her hands on her hips. "Excuse me, negative points? What's the point in that!"

"Alexa seems to be into luck, and I mean a lot of it," Samus answered. "...To a very annoying extent, too."

"Nah, I just thought it'd spice things up a bit. The prize pool for points in these crates will usually differ with each Roulette to keep things interesting." He informed. "Also, the order will now go from whoever has the most points to whoever has the least points; if two people have the same amount of points, then the order of those two will go by alphabetical order."

Little Mac groaned. "Dead last? It's not like I was one of the first to begin with anyway..."

One by one, the survivors were called up and selected their box...

Josuke Higashikata chose Box J.

Mario chose Box C.

Wii Fit Trainer chose Box G.

Johnny Bravo chose Box H.

Captain Falcon chose Box A.

Papyrus chose Box I.

King Dedede chose Box E.

Arataka Reigen chose Box K.

Samus Aran chose Box B.

Sonic chose Box F.

And lastly, Little Mac chose Box D.

Upon receiving the cue, the survivors quickly opened up their boxes:

Josuke Higashikata - 0

Mario - 5

Wii Fit Trainer - -10

Johnny Bravo - -3

Captain Falcon - -7

Papyrus - 15

King Dedede - -5

Arataka Reigen - 3

Samus Aran - 10

Sonic - 0

Little Mac - 7

"NEGATIVE FIVE POINTS?!" Dedede growled. "THAT AIN'T RIGHT!"

"Sorry, but that's what you picked!" Shrugged Alexa.

"How come the hot mama over there gets ten points from Box B whilst I didn't?" Johnny asked. "Talk about justified bias, am I right?"

Samus glared at him. "No, you aren't."

Alexa continued. "Now, it's time to add your scores, or take them away, from your total!"

The host proceeded to add up the points.

* * *

*SAVE HAVEN*

PAPYRUS - 59

MARIO - 55

JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA - 52

SAMUS ARAN - 50

ARATAKA REIGEN - 45

* * *

*DANGER ZONE*

JOHNNY BRAVO - 43

SONIC - 40

LITTLE MAC - 39

CAPTAIN FALCON - 38

KING DEDEDE - 38

WII FIT TRAINER - 37

* * *

"From third to last?! This is pretty unfortunate," moaned Wii Fit Trainer. "But I guess that would ruin anyone's score with minus ten."

"I'm now safe? That's good, because that curse I received is going to be a huge problem for me for the next few days," confessed Samus. "Now I can focus on beating this next challenge to secure my placement in the 'Safe Haven'"

Alexa then beckoned them away. "Well, that's the Roulette for today! You may go back to your tribes, and make sure to prepare yourself for tomorrow's challenge..."

They obeyed his command and walked back to the tribe.

* * *

**Challenge: Day 20**

Whilst the survivors usually had the odd challenge that was different from the usual, whether it be due to the location or the host, this challenge felt like it was going to be quite out of the norm for them. One of the biggest factors supporting this feeling was the large boat parked on the coastline.

Alexa walked over as they talked amongst themselves, sporting dark sunglasses as he marched towards them.

"Heya survivors!" He waved. "Now, considering that we're getting towards the "Beginning of the End", I thought it'd be a good idea to step up the intensity in these challenges. How could I afford all of this stuff, to begin with, you may ask? Well... err... it doesn't matter!"

"Good to know," Samus sarcastically replied under her breath.

"How are ya gonna step up the budget? Make a tight-rope challenge outta gold n' diamonds or somethin'" Dedede guessed, with a laugh following it.

He shook his head. "Nope, all I'm going to say to you is to get on this boat, and I'll take you over to this challenge!"

"Alright, diggin' those shades by the way," Johnny admitted.

They entered the boat, and after some awkward waiting, it began to move away from the island.

Riding towards whatever the destination was certainly failed to be comfortable, and the boat gliding over the rough waters of the sea made it almost seem like a small rollercoaster ride. The survivors couldn't complain, however, as this was out of Alexa's control.

Soon the bright, blue, and sunny sky turned into a dark grey, the fog quickly engulfed the ship, and before they knew it, they could no longer see the clear sky.

"Woah, talk about a change in weather," Reigen analyzed. "I've never seen it change so quickly."

"Doesn't this fog look a LITTLE bit purple to you?" Captain Falcon looked around. "I mean, it's pretty rad, but it's giving me a bad feeling."

The racer pointing it out caused Mario to study the lavender-colored fog, had he seen this before?

"Ah, we've arrived!" Alexa announced, a silhouette of the island appeared, and it looked jagged and tall.

As it slowly appeared into view, it became clear that it wasn't "naturally" tall, but a giant, the old mansion stood atop the island.

"MAAAMA..." Mario gasped out of fear, the mansion looked terrifying to him.

"M-maybe we took the wrong turn?" Josuke began biting his lip out of instinct as he turned to Alexa, who continued to drive towards the mansion.

"We didn't take the wrong turn at all!" He assured, parking up next to it.

The docks of the island were made of an old, murky wood that had been left to rot for decades, causing the whole thing to become almost unstable.

Alexa jumped out the boat and onto these docks, the wood creaked in response.

"Well, this is the location for your challenge!" He revealed, pointing towards the mansion.

"I ain't goin' in there!" Johnny quivered.

"Oh come on, it's not like it's dangerous or anything," Alexa said as one of the wooden planks beneath him gave away and snapped, causing him to jump away in fear. "Just get out of the damn boat!"

One by one, they hesitantly left the boat.

"You know Alexa," began Wii Fit Trainer, causing the host to roll his eyes. "You've done some pretty scummy things throughout this show, heck I don't think you even gave us that sunscreen! But this, this just takes the cake, bringing us out to an island that's old and abandoned, and I'm sure it's abandoned for a GOOD reason, too!"

They quickly escaped the rickety docks and got onto the island, now a lot closer to the mansion, the fog, incredibly thick, swarmed around them and now obscured the boat. They could taste the humid yet cold air in their mouths, and it had a slight hint of bitterness to it.

The mansion itself was a tall, dark wooden building, made of the same rotting wood as the docks, but it had aged much better due to it not being exposed to the sea's crashing waves for so long. Regardless, most of the windows were smashed beyond repair, and flakes of wood and paint were coming off the building.

"I'm getting some bad vibes from this place," Sonic admitted. "I'm not one to get too scared of old abandoned mansions, but it's definitely eerie."

Alexa held out his walkie-talkie and began communicating with somebody on the other end of the call, ignoring the complaints of the other survivors.

"It looks more disgusting than scary. What a waste of money, too. If somebody just came along and fixed it up then I'm sure they would benefit, even if it's out in the middle of the ocean." Samus then spun around upon feeling somebody touch her shoulder. "What is it?"

However, when she turned around, nobody was even close enough to touch her.

"W-which one of you is trying to scare me? Because I'll pummel you if I find out who did it!" She threatened, her voice almost breaking from an overwhelming feeling of terror.

"I didn't see anyone touch it?" Little Mac answered her.

Suddenly, Little Mac's face jolted to the right upon receiving a slap. Although he didn't see anyone slap him, he was convinced that one of them did so.

"Who just did that?!" He yelled.

Upon asking that question, he and many others heard laughing circle around their heads, though the source was impossible to find.

"Uh oh," Alexa then began talking into his walkie-talkie loud enough for the survivors to hear him. "One has appeared, so can you go a little bit faster, Professor?"

As Little Mac got into a position to fight any incoming threat, a white, glowing spirit showed up in front of him. The body was spherical, and a small tail protruded from the back of it, and two stubby arms stuck out from both sides of its orb-like body. The eyes of the ghost consisted of two, oval-shaped pupils that were sunken and dark, and a strange unibrow-like line was on its forehead, connected to the black pupils. The most defining part of the creature came from the gaping mouth it had, four sharp white fangs protruded from the roof of the ghost's mouse, and the bottom of the mouth held a massive pinkish-red tongue that hung out of the mouth. The mouth itself formed a malicious and cheeky smile, as the creature began laughing at Little Mac.

"Is-a that a boo?!" Mario called out.

"MAAAAMA!" Johnny cried, attempting to run off.

As he tried to do so, the leg of his trousers was grabbed by yet another one of the ghosts, causing him to trip over and face plant into the dirt.

Little Mac was backing away from the first spherical ghost, looking to the others for help.

"CRAZY DIAMOND!" Josuke called out, unleashing his stand.

His stand walked up to the ghost terrorizing the boxer and began sending a flurry of punches towards it. "DORARARARARA-RAAAAAH!" Crazy Diamond cried.

Unexpectedly, all of the punches phased through, causing it to laugh snarkily.

It zoomed into Josuke and caused the teenager to fall backward onto the ground.

"NOT EVEN STANDS WORK?!" Papyrus gasped.

"Everyone stand back!" Reigen called out, stepping forward. "As an Esper, this should be easy."

The two ghosts looked at him, curious to see what he could do.

Reigen reached into his pocket, looking for any salt to use on the ghost. Unfortunately, he realized that he hasn't had access to his sorcery equipment since he came to the island, causing him to blankly stare at the ghost.

"A starin' contest won't work!" Dedede taunted.

He slowly stood back as both ghosts looked almost angrily at him, and before they could strike him...

A gust of suction surrounded them, causing both to panic as they attempted to fly off.

Whilst the ghost that tripped up Johnny managed to escape from the sudden force, the other one wasn't so lucky, as it got jammed in the end of the source of the force sucking it in.

The ghost let out one last cry before it flew into the end of the source, capturing it.

"Good job for distracting it, young one!" An old man applauded, short and goofy in appearance, with swirly glasses blocking his eyes. "This Poltergust S is stellar at doing its job!"

Mario gawked at the man, he looked familiar, WAY too familiar.

"W-well that was my plan!" Reigen posed. "Obviously I couldn't take them on without my kit, so I went for a distraction."

The old man chuckled and directed his view towards Mario. "Mario?! Is that you there? I didn't know you were in on this whole "Survivor" thing too! Ohohoho."

"Survivors, meet Professor Elvin Gadd, or E. Gadd for short! Without him, today's challenge wouldn't be possible, so you better treat him with a marginal amount of respect," demanded Alexa.

"Maybe HE will tell us why we're here!" Wii Fit Trainer assumed.

"Aha, yes, I shall," he then took a deep breath. "This island has been abandoned for a good amount of decades, and recently, boos have arrived here to haunt the place and terrorize the environment. That's why this groggy purple fog is here! What I negotiated with Alexa, is to get you eleven to bust these ghosts out of the area! Readings have told me that there's a total of fifty boos on this island, and I've already sucked one up for you! Obviously, you'll need a device to catch these boos, so I've made several models of my useful Poltergust S, also known as the Poltergust Survivor! It can suck up these ghosts with incredible power, though you likely have to fight against the boo in order to suck it up. I myself can't get a two-in-one capture, as you can see."

E. Gadd then gave another chuckle as he proceeded to bring out the models.

The Poltergust S models were similar to a vacuum cleaner, two wheels were stuck on to the left and right of the devices, and they had straps for attaching the bulk of the model to the user. A long, plastic tube stuck out from the top of it, and at the end of the tube was the head of a vacuum cleaner, this was where the ghosts would be sucked into. A separate cord extended from the bottom of the Poltergust, which was used to connect a flashlight to it, likely to help to explore the dark mansion.

"Remember, if any of you get hurt beyond repair, our medical team is close by!" Alexa informed.

"Don't worry about getting hurt too much, because these boos don't pack much of a punch at all. A bruise would likely be the biggest injury you would receive from them, but if you're smart enough with evading their telegraphed attacks, well you'll just have to worry about catching the most at that point," E. Gadd explained, adjusting his glasses.

Josuke raised his hand. "Don't worry! If anyone gets hurt, I'll just use my Stand to heal them back up."

"Eh?" The old man raised his small grey eyebrow. "Well, if that's what your "Stand" does then nobody will have to worry. Once you rid this land of these boos then hopefully it will go back to how it was before."

Alexa finally informed them of the challenge's prizes. "Whoever catches the most boos in this challenge will receive a massive fifty points! Second most captures gets rewarded with forty-five, then third most is rewarded with forty, and so on until the person with the least amount of captures will receive zero points. Any ties will be dealt with at the end of the challenge."

Johnny finally lifted his face off of the ground and rubbed his head. "Aww man, we gotta go in there!? It ain't nothing Johnny can't handle, but how about we just do a different challenge?"

He turned around and saw most of the people equipping their Poltergusts and running inside.

"C'mon Johnny!" Beckoned Captain Falcon.

"Hey, don't leave me!" He called out, quickly scrambling the model onto him and sprinting inside.

As they all quickly entered the mansion, Alexa turned to E. Gadd.

"Are you SURE they won't get hurt?" He raised an eyebrow. "One of them almost broke Johnny's face by tripping him!"

"Relax, these readings only found the weakest of boos, no big ones whatsoever." He reassured. "At least that's what the readings told me."

"Yeah, well those "readings" better be accurate, because if something bad happens then I'll be in deep trouble!" Alexa explained. "Now, I'm going to go back to that boat and get myself a coffee..."

Alexa and E. Gadd soon parted ways, as the survivors scattered along the mansion's interior...

***END OF PART ONE***


	14. Episode 10 Part 2 - Boo Busters!

EPISODE 10 2/2: Boo Busters!

**Mansion: Day 20 - 49 BOOS LEFT**

The entrance to the mansion was rather large, with stairs leading to a second floor, and on that second floor lay more doors that would lead them to different areas. The mansion itself had four floors: the Basement, the Ground Floor, the First Floor, and the Roof.

Despite the boos being apparently harmless, most people decided to stay in small pairs to ensure that nobody would be hurt:

* * *

**Master Bedroom: Day 20 - 49 BOOS LEFT**

As the door creaked open to the large Master Bedroom, a hedgehog and a short plumber walked inside, analyzing the place for any boos.

In the middle of the room was a large mattress, with no bed frame or covers or even pillows accompanying it. Towards the back of the room was a large dressing table for makeup and doing hair, and in the corners of the room lay several small drawers with old, broken lamps on top.

"Sheesh, you think that an abandoned mansion would be empty of all this furniture," Sonic said, shining his light on it. "Do you see any boos?"

"Nope!" Responded Mario, walking up to the mattress. "Hang-a on a second."

He shined his light on the middle of it, and a small bump was located on it.

"Is there something underneath the mattress?" He questioned, moving the mattress with his feet. "I heard boos like to-a hide in furniture."

After moving it enough, a white glowing cloud emerged from it, and that white glowing cloud then split into two.

"Bwahahaha!" One of the clouds cried out as it formed into the same spherical ghost as seen earlier, it was a boo!

The other cloud formed into a second boo, and it pulled the corners of its mouth far apart, pulling a face at Mario and Sonic before laughing alongside its partner.

"Sorry Mario, but both of those boos are mine!" Sonic stated, running up to the boos and attempting to suck them both in.

Whilst one escaped from the suck of his Poltergust, the other one was slowly nearing towards the end of the vacuum, crying in horror.

Before Sonic could suck it in...

The boo that had escaped from his clutches barged into him, causing the hedgehog to trip and crash into the wall of the mansion.

To make matters worse, the loud racket of the thud alongside the laughing of the boos caused one more to phase through the door to assist the others.

Mario gulped as he caught all of them in his suction, hoping that none of them would escape.

The plumber slowly edged closer to the boos whilst sucking them in, and two of them escaped at the last second.

However, the boo that went in to assist the others wasn't so lucky, as it soon entered Mario's Poltergust.

Upon seeing this, the other two boos got angry, their smiles turning to scowls as they circled the dizzy Sonic and the fatigued Mario.

"I got an idea..." Said Sonic, getting to his feet.

After standing up, he began running in circles around the two boos. At first, the two spirits were confused as the hedgehog gained more and more speed, but as the wind around the two boos began to create a current that carried them, they realized his plan, albeit it was too late for them.

The two dizzy boos crashed against each other as Sonic stopped running and began sucking them in. Due to their dizziness, they could barely fight back, causing both of them to get sucked in.

"Aw yeah! That was a piece of cake," cheered Sonic, as Mario grinned despite vacuuming only one boo instead of two. The plumber knew he had to step up his game if he wanted the most boos.

Suddenly, the lights of the room mysteriously turned on, destroying the room's eerie feeling.

"Whoa, did you do that?" The hedgehog asked Mario.

He shook his head. "No? I don't even-a see a light switch on-a the walls."

"Weird... well, I'm sure it wasn't a boo, since turning on the lights would probably make things worse for them," explained Sonic. "This is one mysterious mansion..."

"If only Luigi was-a here..." Uttered the Italian. "He'd probably explain most of-a this since he's cleared out plenty of mansions!"

The hedgehog nodded. "Probably, and I bet if Tails was here, he probably would have invented and create a ghost trap by now. Meanwhile, Knuckles would still be trying to punch those ghosts, even if he knows that they won't react to it!"

As the two talked about their relatives and friends, they opened the door of the empty, bright room, and continued their search for more boos.

* * *

**Dining Hall: Day 20 - 46 BOOS LEFT**

King Dedede and Papyrus entered the large dining hall, consisting of a long room with a giant wooden table in the middle, covered in a white jagged table cloth with tears in it.

"This place is king-sized, but it definitely ain't close to being king quality!" Dedede scraped his hand across one of the drawers in the corner of the room. "Thick with dust?! My servants polish ma' castle every day, so seein' something so filthy is just disgraceful!"

"IT'S LAZINESS. THOUGH, CONSIDERING THIS PLACE IS ABANDONED, I FEEL LIKE THE LACK OF HYGIENE IS RATHER JUSTIFIED," Papyrus defended. "HOWEVER, IT'S STILL DISGUSTING WITHOUT A DOUBT."

"Agreed, now where are those ghosts..." The penguin walked around the dining room table, shining his light on everything.

Suddenly, the king felt a tug on his robe, causing him to jolt around to Papyrus.

"What do ya want!?" He eyed him.

"EH?"

"You tugged me for a darn reason and I wanna hear it!" Dedede stomped his feet on the ground.

Suddenly, another tug came on his robe, once again from behind. This confirmed to him that Papyrus didn't touch his robes at all, causing the color to drain from his face.

He turned around and looked down to check for any of the orb-shaped boos, and found nothing.

Then another tug came from behind, and another, and another, causing Dedede to fall into an annoying cycle that quickly got him mad.

"HEY, BONEHEAD, GET THESE GHOSTS OFFA' ME!" Demanded Dedede.

"I'M TRYING!" Papyrus panicked. "HOW DO YOU ACTIVATE THE VACUUM CLEANER?!"

As the penguin continued to get tugged over and over again, he managed to point to the button.

"IT'S RIGHT THERE-" he then fell to the ground from an extra powerful tug, causing him to get extra angry. "Alright... that does it... YOU BOOS HAVE HAD 'YER FUN!"

He then whipped out the vacuum and turned it on, and four boos appeared on the opposite side of the room, all were giving snarky laughter at them.

Dedede charged forwards, surprising the boos as they scattered around the room, Papyrus was still struggling to turn on his Poltergust.

The skeleton watched, sweating, as the penguin chased the four around the hall, taunting him with every miss.

One of the boos decided to toy with Papyrus as well, tackling him to the floor.

The penguin scoffed at Papyrus. "You're useless!"

By pure luck, Dedede managed to corner one of the boos, quickly sucking it up before the others could shove him or stop him.

"You don't tug at a king's robes!" He laughed. "Suckin' up you little footballs is a lot more fun than I thought."

Suddenly, all three boos growled at him as they began ramming into him, causing him to get pushed back and forth. The attack was completely unexpected, and it caused Dedede to drop the vacuum with shock.

"GAAAAAAH!" He cried, swiping at the boos to no avail. "How come y'all can-ARGH... hit me without-YOOOWWCH... me hittin' ya bac-GNNNRGHAAAA!"

As the ghosts harassed Dedede, they all reeled back, ready to do one final pounce on him before running off.

"LORD HAVE MERCY!" He prayed to them, shutting his eyes. "DON'T HURT ME!"

However, just before they charged in...

All three of them began getting sucked into the Poltergust, and with no time to react, all three entered the chamber.

Dedede opened his eyes and saw Papyrus posing.

"GOOD NEWS!" He smiled. "I FOUND THE BUTTON!"

Pretending to not have any gratitude for the save, Dedede brushed the dust off of him and his robes. "Yeah, well, good for you, bones for brains! Whilst you were scrambling for that button, I was busy getting pummelled by those stupid round ghosts..."

"HOW MANY DID YOU CAPTURE, BECAUSE I COULD HAVE SWORN THAT I COLLECTED THREE." Papyrus rubbed his jawbone.

"...One, 'cause you took the rest for yourself!" He accused.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on.

"What, did ya just turn on the lights or something?" Dedede questioned.

"I DON'T THINK I DID, I CAN'T EVEN SEE A SWITCH ALONG THE WALLS!" Papyrus looked around. "HOW ODD... OH WELL, IT MUST MEAN WE'RE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT! LIGHT IS ALWAYS GOOD!"

Both then looked around more rooms, hunting for more ghosts...

* * *

**Ball Room: Day 20 - 42 BOOS LEFT**

The door crept open as Reigen and Samus entered, observing the room's contents.

The Ball Room had a general color theme of red and pink, which was splattered all over the walls, ceiling and even the furniture. A white and pink checkered floor was beneath their feet, and they watched as multiple boos had already exposed themselves. Five were enjoying themselves, dancing to the music which came from an old radio.

"Hmm, whilst they're distracted by the music, I'll sneak up on them and vacuum them all up!" Reigen informed. "You just wait here, because err, otherwise you may get hurt."

The psychic's plan to get all of the ghosts for himself was foiled when Samus barged past him, not taking any of his lies into consideration as she stepped behind one of the boos.

As she aimed her vacuum at it, the boo knew that she was standing there, and planned to jumpscare her and runoff.

However, as it turned around and screamed at her, she still stood there, her face completely blank and concentrated.

The lack of a reaction ironically caused the mischievous boo to get scared, and before it could run off, its face was already right next to the vacuum, and was quickly sucked in without a second thought.

Samus then turned to the other boos, who flew around the room panicking.

"Quick, before they figure out to escape!" She commanded Reigen as she attempted to corner more of the boos.

"You think these boos wouldn't corner themselves and would just phase through the walls and escape," Reigen said nonchalantly, running towards a pair of the ghosts. "But they're pretty dumb," he continued.

Reigen managed to get one of the boos into his suction, and it slowly neared closer and closer to his vacuum.

However, right before going in, Samus stuck her vacuum right next to it, causing the ghost to fly into hers instead at the very last second.

"HEY!" He scalded. "THAT WAS MINE!"

Reigen decided to distance himself from her by going for one of the boos at the far corner, who was about to fly through the door.

He managed to suck it up last second before it could enter, for some reason the ghost didn't think to fight back, making the capture very easy.

"Typical ghosts are usually dumb..." He grinned, turning towards a ghost creeping up behind him and countering by sucking it up. "Man, this is a lot easier than I thought it would be!"

Reigen saw Samus vacuum up the last ghost, and upon adding it up, he realized that she managed to snag one extra boo in comparison to him.

Suddenly, the lights flickered back on, weirding out the both of them.

Samus looked around for a light switch but saw nothing. "How did that happen?"

Reigen shrugged, ignoring that fact as he was still angry at Samus. "If you didn't steal my catch then I would have gotten more than you, just so you know!" He informed angrily. "How would you like it if I stole yours?!"

"Well I won't let you steal mine, that's the difference," she shrugged, before walking out of the room.

"Hey, wait up, this place is dangerous to be by yourself in!" Reigen exclaimed, mostly referring to himself.

* * *

**Gym: Day 20 - 37 BOOS LEFT**

The gym was a massive place, whilst you could say similar for some of the other rooms in the mansion, the one room could have had been written off as its own building. Lots of gym equipment, from weights to punching bags to equipment such as treadmills or cycling machines.

Inside of the room were Josuke, Little Mac, and Wii Fit Trainer, all of which had split up into different corners of the room to look for boos.

As Little Mac walked by a set of punching bags, he shined his flashlight on every single one for any possible hint towards a boo hiding in them.

*DINK*

He quickly turned over, his flashlight pointed at a small dumbbell that was slowly rolling off of the rack it was placed on and over towards him.

His hands began shaking as he felt an overwhelming sense of fear strike him.

"W-what?!" He pointed his flashlight all over the room and saw that Wii Fit Trainer and Josuke were far away from the rack and the dumbbell it fell from.

Before he walked over to investigate it, the punching bag from behind flew towards him, causing him to soar through the air and back onto the cold ground of the gym, slightly hurt.

Little Mac turned around to see a larger than average boo behind him, mocking him with the usual gritty laugh that a boo gives out.

Wii Fit Trainer and Josuke both turned to the boo, and prepared to run after it. Unexpectedly, however, a boo from behind Josuke, as well as a boo from behind Wii Fit Trainer, began halting their goal to reach the large boo and help out Little Mac by shoving them over, causing both of them to put their focus onto the boos.

Before the giant boo could tackle Little Mac, the boxer swiftly dodged, studying how the boo was able to hit him and the punching bag despite also having the ability to phase through objects. He knew that if he tried to punch the boo, it would simply phase through him before he even had the chance to do so. Nonetheless, he stopped thinking about it and whipped out his Poltergust, taking aim at the giant ghost and turning it on.

However, due to the sheer size of the boo, he had no luck in sucking it in due to its ability to easily escape.

This caused the boo to charge into him, launching Little Mac against the punching bag, cushioning the blow. Upon looking at the punching bag, he had an idea...

Meanwhile, Josuke managed to trick his boo into getting extra close, allowing for him to suck it up with little difficulty, it gave out one last cry before entering the chamber of the vacuum.

As for Wii Fit Trainer, she was struggling a little bit, but after dodging the boo's charge using her flexibility, she managed to counter it with a suction, causing it to get sucked in.

Now that the two were no longer distracted, they could help out Little Mac.

He had himself position behind a punching bag, and pulling off his plan would come down to timing and hope.

The colossal boo knew that Little Mac was behind the gym equipment, and got ready to charge into it, which would send the boxer flying against the wall and hopefully rendering him out of the fight.

With malicious intent, the boo unphased itself so it could hit the punching bag...

Using perfect timing, Little Mac thrusted his fist into the bag at full force, causing it to fly into the giant boo, splitting it into five dizzy boos, all of which were groaning from the impact.

"I-I did it!" He stuttered from the surprise of it working.

"Whoa, that giant boo was a bunch of smaller ones?" Josuke queried, looking at them. "They look a lot less threatening now!"

Little Mac then proceeded to vacuum up the boos before the others could reach them, they couldn't fight back at all, which made the process incredibly quick and easy.

As the lights of the gym turned on, the others looked around mysteriously.

"Are you sure those boos aren't the only haunted thing about this place?" Asked Josuke, biting his lip once again.

"I'm going to give Alexa a piece of my mind when I tell him about this! You flew across the room thanks to that weird... creature!" Wii Fit Trainer shook her head.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," he reassured. "Just a little bit sore from the impact."

Upon hearing that, Josuke summoned his stand to heal him up with a simple touch, causing Little Mac to give him his gratitude.

* * *

**Basement: Day 20 - 30 BOOS LEFT**

The basement was a large floor divided into smallish rooms by walls, however, no doors were present on this floor, and it was darker than any other floor in the house. The walls and floors were made entirely out of the stone, whilst the ceiling was the construction beams used to help support the floor above it.

"Why hello there, good lookin'." Johnny caressed his hair and smiled, looking into a mirror. "What's a handsome guy like you doin' out here?"

Captain Falcon groaned. "Come on, we gotta look for these ghosts. If you come last then you'll receive no points! Both of us are already in the Danger Zone, too."

"Don't worry, those ghosts won't know what hit em'... or in this case, they won't know what sucked em'... that sounds even worse," he shivered. "You get the point! Just let me fix my hair up and I'll look for those ghosts..."

As Johnny straightened his hair with his hands using the mirror and a propped flashlight to see what he was doing, he noticed a weird flickering ball of white glowing cloud next to him.

"Eh?" He looked at the cloud through the mirror. His most logical solution to this oddity was breathing on the mirror where he saw the cloud and wiped it with his palm. Magically, the cloud was now gone, and he continued straightening his hair.

Five seconds later, Johnny looked back in the same spot where the cloud disappeared, presumably thanks to his method, and it had reappeared.

"What's with this dumb mirror!" He groaned.

Captain Falcon shined his light at Johnny upon hearing those words and saw the cloud for himself. "G-get away from that mirror!"

The brooding muscular man tilted his head to the right and saw the cloud upfront.

"Err, I didn't know clouds could go indoors... the more you know am I right, Falcon?" Johnny winked at him through his sunglasses. When he turned back to face the cloud, it quickly morphed into a boo and scared him, causing him to scream with horror and scramble to the corner.

"MAMA, HELP ME!" He cried. "IF ONLY I HAD SOMETHING TO DEFEAT THIS GHOST..."

Captain Falcon sighed as he walked up to the ghost, pulling out his Poltergust S and quickly sucking it up before it could even react. He looked to Johnny, and sarcastically prodded the Poltergust that was on his back.

"Oh, right, I have that weird sucking device." Johnny scratched the back of his neck. "Well, now I know! It's time to go Ghostbustin'."

He carried the vacuum part like it was a rifle, peeking around every corner before advancing deeper into the basement as Captain Falcon followed.

When they came to the final, dead-end room of the basement, Johnny peeked inside and saw absolutely nothing, no furniture, no paintings or boos.

"I don't see anything in this basement!" He said, peeking backward to Captain Falcon. But when he did so...

"BWAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Johnny howled as three boos were behind him, laughing at his fear.

He fell on his back before rolling onto his stomach and jumping back onto his legs. He then pulled out the vacuum once more and began sucking the three ghosts up.

One ghost managed to fall into the clutches of his Poltergust, whilst the other two barely escaped due to his poor aim and control over the machine.

"Darn..." He uttered as he watched them fly over to Captain Falcon.

Johnny thought that he would struggle immensely with fighting the two boos, but the opposite came to be true as he quickly teased the boos to make hasty movements before sucking them up.

Upon doing so, the entire basement lit up, the atmosphere was still eerie due to the basement location, but it definitely helped put them to ease.

"I don't know WHO turned on those lights but I'm not complaining," the racer said, wiping the sweat from his forehead as, all of a sudden, his Poltergust began vibrating. "What the?!"

Johnny also felt vibrations on his Poltergust, causing him to raise his eyebrow. "What's goin' on?! Is it processin' those ghosts or something?"

"Hello, contestants!" E. Gadd's voice rang through the Poltergust S. "Hopefully this message isn't giving you a heart attack, but this is yet another function of my device! That's not important, however, as more readings have shown that a massive cluster of boos has traveled to the roof. Medical staff, Alexa, and I will join you there because things could get quite brutal with what they're planning. I advise you to hurry up as soon as possible!"

The vibrating then stopped as Captain Falcon turned to Johnny. "We gotta get to that roof and fast!"

"Johnny's on it," he replied, running up the stairs to exit the basement.

* * *

**Rooftop: Day 20 - 26 BOOS LEFT**

Captain Falcon and Johnny, the last two to make it to the rooftop, joined the others in gawking at the other boos.

All twenty-six remaining boos were there, all laughing at them.

"They're laughin' at us?! Alright, that's it, I'm gonna beat the snot outta those fools!" Dedede proclaimed as he charged at them. But as he did...

*CRASH*

A giant bolt of lightning struck right in front of his feet, causing him to fall backward. "GAH!" He cried.

Once again the boos laughed as they all began forming back into the weird glowing clouds. From there, all of the clouds began flying into one another, and those combined clouds flew into more combined clouds until one giant cloud was present.

"They're combining?!" Little Mac gasped. "I've seen this happen before back in the gym, but that was only FIVE of those ghosts!"

"Those-a boos never know when to-a let up, do they?" Mario said, watching as the glowing white cloud slowly formed into a giant boo. The eyes were even more sunken, and it had a maniacal look on its face, an expression of pure hatred appeared on its face instead of the usual goofy smile.

E. Gadd placed his hands on his face. "This giant boo, I didn't think they'd be intelligent to combine like that!"

"What do you mean?!" Alexa said, standing back. "These survivors CAN defeat it, right?"

"Yes, but only if they work together and use all of their Poltergusts to split it," The old man explained.

"THIS IS NOT WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR!" Wii Fit Trainer exclaimed.

The boo then slashed its tongue at the roof, causing the ground to crack violently as chunks of rock flew off the roof.

"CHARGE!" Commanded Alexa. "AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T GET HURT!"

Reluctantly but courageously, the eleven armed survivors charged at the ghost, all attempting to vacuum it up.

Whilst it showed signs of splitting, it managed to move away before it happened, causing the survivors to try again.

However, the gargantuan ghost had more tricks up its sleeve, as it attempted to tackle the group.

They managed to read the attack in time, however, and everyone dodged.

Alexa jumped to the side as it barely evaded him. "GAH!"

Sonic then thought of an idea, he had used the technique on the boos before, but he wasn't sure if it would work on a gigantic threat. Regardless, he had to find out. He began running in circles around the giant ghost, picking up more and more pace as a tornado-like gust of wind began slowly spinning the giant ghost around. He continued to pick up more and more speed as the others cheered for him, which only boosted his confidence as he knew it was working to some degree.

The gust of wind soon became visible, and the giant boo gave a low-pitched cry as it fell dizzy, crashing into the mansion. Not only that, but the wind was so powerful it managed to clear some of the fog directly above the island, allowing some sunlight to temporarily spill out and onto the ghost's eyes, blinding and damaging it.

With this opportunity, the survivors began vacuuming the stunned giant, and one by one, the boos began splitting off of the behemoth and into the Poltergust S models.

Samus vacuumed one.

Mario vacuumed two.

Little Mac vacuumed one.

Johnny vacuumed one.

Sonic vacuumed three.

King Dedede vacuumed one.

And Wii Fit Trainer vacuumed one.

In total, ten boos were sucked out of the giant, and by then it began spinning around, creating a small gust of wind the propelled the survivors away from it. The boo was now noticeably smaller, but still giant.

It gave another scowl and began slamming its tongue against the rooftop over and over again, making the dust fly into the air and nearly damaging them.

"The ground's going to give out if it keeps slamming that tongue!" Wii Fit Trainer warned.

"OH NO! SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING!" Papyrus cried.

Josuke stepped forward and summoned Crazy Diamond, attempting to fix the cracks and holes in the roof. Whilst the repairing worked, it was a slow process that made him vulnerable, meaning that the others had to fend off the ghost.

"That ghost seems a lot more on guard, we'll need a distraction if we want to get it dizzy again," Sonic said.

Johnny adjusted his hair as he gave a grin. "I'm on it!"

The brute ran up to the ghost and began talking to it. "Hey, big guy! Wanna see some Karate?"

Due to not knowing what he was even saying, the ghost raised an eyebrow at him.

He began pulling several different poses, most of which were definitely not Karate and were just poses he made up in an attempt to look cool.

The ghost shrugged off his ridiculous behavior and went to damage him with a sweep of his tongue, and the impending attack made Johnny sweat profusely.

Luckily, before the ghost could slash its tongue, it realized that Sonic managed to trick the ghost, as it was already caught in the speeding current of the tornado that Sonic created.

It cried with horror as it fell dizzy, causing it to tumble onto the rooftop, similarly to last time.

Like last time, the survivors ran up to the ghost and began vacuuming it, trying to get more of those boos off of it, and it worked as usual, although it was slightly more difficult to detach the boos from the giant one. Josuke stopped fixing the roof and quickly came over to suck up the ghost for himself.

Samus vacuumed two.

Reigen vacuumed one.

Papyrus vacuumed one.

Wii Fit Trainer vacuumed two.

Josuke vacuumed two.

And Captain Falcon vacuumed one.

Now the boo was significantly smaller, now consisting of seven boos combined into one instead of the twenty-six or sixteen it was previously. Little Mac even observed that it looked similar in size to the boo he had to fight in the gym.

The boo being smaller was secretly an advantage, as it allowed it to be much more nimble than before, although it was overall a lot weaker. The lack of strength didn't stop it from spinning around the rooftop and knocking several of the survivors onto the ground in an attempt to escape the situation it was in.

After succeeding, the boo began to focus more on evading the large groups of people and picking off the smaller groups. Due to this new strategy, the spherical spirit slowly turned over to E. Gadd and Alexa, both of which were cheering for the survivors.

"Uh oh..." Alexa slowly pointed his finger towards the boo. "It's not going to attack us, right?"

Before E. Gadd could assure him, the boo charged towards the both of them at full speed.

Both began sprinting away, yelling for help in the process.

"THEY'RE HARMLESS, HE SAID... THERE'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, HE SAID!" Alexa sarcastically repeated E. Gadd's words.

"I didn't know they were so smart! Very few boos are smart enough to merge, let alone get the idea to pick off the weak ones," E. Gadd justified himself, running for his life at the same time.

As the ghost neared closer, Sonic realized that he may not be able to catch the boo in his tornado-like wind, but he could try something similar...

The Blue Blur began running in circles, as usual, the boo was cackling as it was nowhere near the hedgehog to begin with, giving it more opportunity to pursue Alexa and E. Gadd.

However, instead of the wind being used to carry the boo around, the wind was used to open up the fog in the sky as he did earlier, causing more sunshine to shine on the mansion, some of which nearly touching the boo. Whilst it wasn't particularly harmed by sunlight, it was definitely blinded and especially weakened when it was in it.

Some sunshine spluttered onto the boo as Sonic continued to pick up momentum, allowing more and more sunshine to hit the boo. The ghost slowed down more and more, allowing for the fatigued hosts to run off into safety as the other survivors ganged up on it, attempting to suck it up some more.

Sonic sacrificed his opportunity to collect more boos by continuing to use his wind to separate the fog above them, which made the giant boo too weak to escape properly.

Samus vacuumed two boos.

Little Mac vacuumed one.

Mario vacuumed one.

Wii Fit Trainer vacuumed one.

And King Dedede vacuumed one.

The giant boo was now reduced to one, tiny, measly boo, that despite its exposure to sunlight, used all of its remaining energy to try and escape from the mansion.

However, just as it began to glide over the edge and out of reach, Mario jumped up and just barely pulled the boo back into his reach, sucking it up before anyone else could steal his bounty.

As soon as the final boo was captured, E. Gadd and Alexa ran up to congratulate them.

"Whilst that was NOT expected whatsoever, congratulations for defeating that ghost!" Alexa applauded.

E. Gadd nodded. "Oho! It was a treat to watch you all work together and use your wits, but I'm gravely sorry for my readings scrambling up, it was not my intention to nearly harm you all. Luckily, other than a little scratch on a few of you, there are no real injuries to worry about! Oh, and take a look at the sky, whilst you're at it."

Obeying him out of curiosity, the survivors peered into the sky, previously tainted with lavender fog. It was beginning to fade away, little splashes of sunshine slipped through the fog's cracks and onto the roof as well as the whole island as the survivors smiled at the beautiful view.

"Maybe what we did to those boos was evil on our part..." Wii Fit Trainer rubbed her arm. "I mean, they were just defending the land that they claimed! Though, that's not the real issue here..."

She proceeded to walk up to Alexa and poke him in the chest.

"Hey, what did I do to deserve that poke?!" He questioned, annoyed.

"You put so many lives in danger with this ridiculous challenge!" She censured him, folding her arms.

"Well, sure, but come on, it's not Survivor without survival am I right?" He gave an awkward smile. "Alright FIIIINE I admit it, I put you all in danger, but you signed up for this, no matter how brutal it would be! Now, let's stop talking about that and let's get out of this damn mansion."

Alexa proceeded to exit the mansion alongside everyone else, all of the lights were mysteriously turned on, including the lights to the hallways that they traveled through.

"I wonder why these-a lights turned on after clearing the rooms of-a ghosts..." Mario rubbed his chin. "Oh-a well, it's-a not important!"

* * *

**Island: Day 20 - ALL BOOS CAPTURED**

The atmosphere was once grim on this island, a thick cloud of lavender fog used to swarm it like it was cursed, and, as a haunted mansion sat in the middle of the island, it was safe to say that the island WAS cursed. That no longer mattered, however, as the survivors had cleared out the place of all of the fifty boos residing within it, officially saving the place from the evil clutches of the ghosts.

E. Gadd spent thirty minutes collecting all of the data from each Poltergust S, adding up how many boos each survivor managed to capture.

After finishing it up and tallying the scores alongside Alexa, he turned to the survivors.

"There are quite a few ties within this score! However, each boo within the Poltergusts is numbered with an ID. The first number of the ID is meant to show its amount of energy, from 0 to 9. Your total energy will be added up, and if you're tied with someone else with the number of boos you have collected, then it will be settled by who has the most energy!" He explained. "So, apologies to anyone who loses to these tie-breakers..."

E. Gadd then showed everyone their scores:

\- 8 Boos - 48 Energy (50 Points rewarded)

2\. Little Mac - 7 Boos - 50 Energy (45 Points rewarded)

3\. Mario - 5 Boos - 33 Energy (40 Points rewarded)

4\. Sonic - 5 Boos - 29 Energy (35 Points rewarded)

5\. Wii Fit Trainer - 5 Boos - 22 Energy (30 Points rewarded)

6\. Papyrus - 4 Boos - 35 Energy (25 Points rewarded)

7\. Captain Falcon - 4 Boos - 12 Energy (20 Points rewarded)

8\. King Dedede - 3 Boos - 23 Energy (15 Points rewarded)

9\. Josuke - 3 - 18 Energy (10 Points rewarded)

10\. Reigen - 3 - 7 Energy (5 Points rewarded)

11\. Johnny - 2 - 10 Energy (0 Points rewarded)

"Aww man, dead last?!" Johnny groaned. "At least I got more energy than Reigen."

"Yeah well, we didn't tie, so I still beat you," said Reigen, almost smugly.

Alexa then continued. "Now, it's time to add those scores onto your total amount of points!"

He proceeded to add them on:

* * *

*SAFE HAVEN*

SAMUS ARAN - 100

MARIO - 95

PAPYRUS - 94

LITTLE MAC - 84

SONIC - 75

* * *

*DANGER ZONE*

WII FIT TRAINER - 67

JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA - 62

CAPTAIN FALCON - 58

KING DEDEDE - 53

ARATAKA REIGEN - 50

JOHNNY BRAVO - 43

* * *

Samus couldn't help but grin at her success. "Being safe by that much definitely fills me with pride, I know that much."

"Ugh, I didn't even do bad at the challenge yet I'm still in danger?!" Wii Fit Trainer folded her arms. "This isn't fair..."

"I guess if I didn't join then you'd be safe, but I think I need safety more than you, because I just joined back," Sonic said. "Unless you're a target to everyone else since I did miss a lot..."

Alexa clasped his hands together, wringing them with delight. "Okay survivors! I think it's time we had back to our old island now, but let's say our thanks to E. Gadd for supplying us with these Poltergust S models!"

...

"Err, I said, let's say our thanks to E. Gadd for SUPPLYING us with the thing that helped us get rid of that giant, life-threatening ghost?" He repeated, raising an eyebrow at the sheer lack of gratitude.

...

Little Mac broke the silence. "If we weren't here in the first place, then we wouldn't have to worry about the boo, isn't that right?"

"Well..." Alexa appeared flummoxed at the response. "Y'know, Uhm."

E. Gadd interrupted him. "Now now! I understand their bitterness, this is all my fault after all. Don't take it out on ol' Alexa, but don't grudge against me for too long, because the last thing I want outside of my lab is a couple of people wanting to get back at me, ohoho. Now, goodbye survivors! Especially goodbye to you, Mario, it was a pleasant surprise seeing the Great Luigi's brother in this little time-killer I decided to do."

The survivors walked back onto the rickety docks and onto the boat, mainly Alexa was waving at E. Gadd as the boat sailed away into the shining sky...

* * *

**Laau Haupa: Day 20**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Josuke Higashikata - Wii Fit Trainer - King Dedede - Johnny Bravo - Captain Falcon - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen - Sonic

Exhausted from hunting all day, the survivors took solace in knowing that they could kick back and relax... well, until they realized that they now had to pick between Wii Fit Trainer, Josuke, Captain Falcon, King Dedede, Reigen and Johnny for elimination.

The survivors had split into their usual groups to discuss who to eliminate. Josuke, Little Mac, and Papyrus were in their trio, whilst Captain Falcon, Johnny, Mario and Sonic were in a group. This left King Dedede, Wii Fit Trainer, Reigen and Samus in the last group.

"So, who are you planning to eliminate?" Asked Reigen.

"I dunno, 'dat Johnny guy is definitely annoyin' me though. He and his stupid broodin' body and his ridiculous haircut are two things that make me want to eliminate him without even talkin' about how insufferable he is!" Stated Dedede. "What about the rest of y'all? As long as it ain't me, I'm fine with it."

Reigen pointed to the group of Papyrus, Little Mac and Josuke. "I'm probably going to vote for Josuke, he and his stand can be really problematic if we keep him around much longer, not to mention he's in a pretty big alliance."

"Pssh, you got that right! That bonehead Papyrus makes no effort to hide that fact." The penguin proceeded to snort with laughter. "I mean come ON! It's supposed to be a secret, right?"

Samus nodded. "He is a threat, although a part of me just wants to vote Johnny off instead, because he has surprisingly overstayed his welcome on this island, and is a total creep."

"Yeah, you got that right. If the others weren't there to distract him, he'd probably be trying to woe us all over again, because he still keeps giving me those looks..." Grumbled Wii Fit Trainer. "I told him that I'd punch him in the face if he did it again! Still saw through my bluff, and I think he tries to wink at me, but those sunglasses are NOT helping."

"There aren't many people that I find gross on this island anymore, but if there's one that hasn't gone yet, then it's definitely Johnny. He just comes across as straight-up creepy, because his own motivation for staying on this show is what, so he can win over a couple of girls? No girl would go out of him if it would bring them a billion dollars in return!" - Wii Fit Trainer.

King Dedede scratched his head. "Well, what will it be? The Johnny guy or Josuke? I'm goin' for Johnny personally."

"I wish I could vote both, but I'm going with Josuke," confessed Samus. "Hopefully I won't regret that decision."

Wii Fit Trainer sighed, annoyed at her own dilemma. "I dunno myself, I really don't like Johnny but Josuke's Stand overpowers us in a lot! Should we even choose the biggest threats when almost everyone here counts as a threat anyway?"

"Well, he's in his own league. He has his own personal ghost serving him, to put it simply," Reigen loosely described. "That's a lot more of a threat than the raw strength of say, Captain Falcon."

"Maybe you're right, but I'll need to think about it a bit more. Whatever happens though, I'm not going to let Johnny outlive me!" She promised, wincing at the minute possibility.

Meanwhile, the quartet of Johnny, Captain Falcon, Mario and Sonic were attempting to find someone they would all be comfortable voting for, at least within the group.

"So we have to pick between Wii Fit Trainer, Josuke, King Dedede and Reigen, right?" Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Difficult choice, I barely know any of those, and the ones I do know are people I like a lot, like Josuke."

"My vote would probably go to Reigen," said Captain Falcon. "I got a feeling that a few others are going to vote for him this council, so if we stack our four votes on top of that, then I'm sure that our votes won't go to waste."

"Little Mac was pretty mad at both Squidward and Reigen upon realizing that he was being lied to, so I'm confident that the grudge will carry over to now! I bet he'll wrangle a few others into his opinion too, and if it means I can eliminate somebody who tried to get me off, well I'm more than content with it." - Captain Falcon.

"Oh yeah, ain't he the guy who tried to vote you off?" Johnny queried. "Pretty sure he is, but I'm probably mistakin' him for that penguin. Anyway, I'm fine votin' either, as long as I don't have to vote for the gym gal over there..."

"Yeah, I-a don't mind voting Reigen." Concurred Mario.

That left Sonic, the only one who was unsure of who to vote. "Reigen? Aww man, I barely know him, and I don't think he's done much worse from what I've seen. I'll take Johnny's word for him attempting to eliminate Cap', though, so I'll just vote him too."

"Barely any disagreements?" The plumber noticed. "Looks like this will be a quick Tribal Council."

Johnny posed. "Another day, another guaranteed safety for Johnny!"

Finally, the alliance of Josuke, Papyrus and Little Mac were, much like the other groups, deciding on who to eliminate. Whilst they went through every option barring Josuke himself for obvious reasons, they were stuck on whether they should vote Johnny or Reigen.

"Johnny and Dedede both seem like egotistical morons, but whilst one rightfully has his arrogance from being a king..." Josuke drifted his eyes over to Johnny, who was sticking his finger in his ear. "The other doesn't really have a reason for having such an ego..."

Papyrus gave a nod of agreement. "EXACTLY! A KING SHOULD THRIVE IN PRIDE, AND I CANNOT BLAME THE MAJESTIC PENGUIN OVER THERE FOR DOING SO, EVEN IF HE DOES HAVE HIS RUDE MOMENTS. JOHNNY JUST SEEMS OBNOXIOUS AND LAZY! DID YOU SEE HOW HE TRIED TO HANDLE THAT GIANT BOO?! HE BEGAN PULLING OFF KARATE MOVES! TALK ABOUT DELUSIONAL... WOULD RATHER GET HIM OUT OF THE WAY THAN REIGEN."

"But Reigen's a lot more of a threat! He lied to me about Captain Falcon and Johnny alongside Squidward, and that's just something I can't forget about at all," admitted Little Mac. "I'm not much of a grudger, but I don't like being toyed with so they can get what they want, even if that IS the aim of the game!"

Josuke placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, we get it, you were lied to by him, but just LOOK at Johnny. He's a deluded arrogant loser who apparently pervs on the two women here, PLUS if we eliminate him, then we destroy his alliance with Captain Falcon too, so we won't have to worry about either of them."

It took the boxer some time to think about it, but he knew that deciding was now or never, especially considering that it was beginning to get dark, which acted as a warning for how Tribal Council was nearly due.

He decided to try his best to take what Reigen did out of the picture and compare the two, and he knew that Johnny is a lot less pleasant to have around. Not only would voting for him please his alliance, but it would probably get rid of some of the ladies' distress.

With a bitter groan, he eventually gave the nod that Josuke and Papyrus were hoping for. "Fine."

"HOORAY! TRUST ME, IT'S NOT LIKE REIGEN SHALL MAKE IT FAR ANYWAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN HE HAS TO GO AGAINST A POWERFUL THREE-MAN TEAM LIKE US!" Papyrus wrapped his bony arms around the two, beaming. "WE SHALL BE FOREVER SAFE!"

"Well, making it so vocal is probably going to be our downfall..." said Little Mac, but his tone quickly picked back up. "But yeah, we'll probably be safe for a good while, if forever!"

Whilst deciding who to eliminate was rather short compared to usual, everyone barring one had fully come to their conclusion, and they began walking to Tribal Council, many were dreading the disconnect that the three groups had towards each other...

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 20**

As the survivors entered the council, the dark, gloomy atmosphere almost reminded them of the mansion they had recently cleaned out of ghosts, and to go with the horrifying atmosphere, fog was also present.

Sat on the bench nearby was Gordon, the first jury member. They apparently weren't allowed to talk to him beyond a greeting, so the others simply waved and said their hellos as they spotted him on the bench, and he replied with a similar greeting.

Alexa emerged from the fog and greeted the survivors. "Heya survivors! Welcome to your... wait, TENTH Tribal Council?! Well, this is definitely something to be proud over, so congratulations to all of you, whether you make it through tonight or not!"

"Thanks, but I feel like I'll stick around for MUCH longer," Dedede grinned.

"Well, with an attitude like that, how can I not ask you this first question? Now that you've had plenty more experience with these gimmicks, do you like the implementation of the Roulette and the points?" Questioned Alexa.

The king rubbed his beak before snapping his fingers. "Of course I know the answer! Them points are definitely rigged, and the Roulette too! I should be receivin' a lot more, yet I'm stuck here with the Bottom 6 losers!"

His stubborn arrogance caused Little Mac and Johnny to roll their eyes, especially Johnny, as he didn't like him at all.

"I see, what about you, Wii Fit Trainer?" He pointed to her.

"Not a fan of the Roulette, it's too suspenseful for my liking," she said. "I like the points, because if I work hard enough, then I'll never be able to get voted for! Unfortunately that's not the case right now, I just need to try a little harder..."

Alexa gave his usual fake nod of understanding before shooting the final question towards Samus. "Samus! Due to how late we arrived back, you had slightly less time to discuss who to eliminate. Did this affect anything?"

"Surprisingly not. Everyone in my group was quick with who they were deciding to vote, so we were left to twiddle our thumbs as we observed the other groups, who didn't take long to decide either, from the looks of it," Samus explained. "I'm nervous to see who gets eliminated as usual, even if it's impossible for that person to be me in the first place."

The host clasped his hands together. "Well, your questions are as honest as usual!" He began wringing his hands before tucking them back into his pockets. "Let's begin the voting, shall we?"

Samus Aran: It was a little difficult for me to decide, but I ultimately decided to choose you, since your stand is too much of a threat to everybody, and especially me... (Josuke Higashikata)

Sonic: I don't know WHAT you did in full detail, but from the sound of it, I don't think these guys are going to let it go, so I might as well just join them in voting for you! (Arataka Reigen)

Papyrus: YOU'RE STRANGE, YOU'RE ARROGANT, AND YOU'RE CERTAINLY OBNOXIOUS FOR A QUIET PERSON! AND I ALSO RECOMMEND YOU SHAVE YOUR HAIR DOWN TOO, BECAUSE UNLIKE JOSUKE'S POMPADOUR, YOURS LOOKS QUITE... IMPOSTER-ISH? IS THAT THE WORD? (Johnny Bravo)

Wii Fit Trainer: I know who to vote, but considering how I usually am when voting, I'll probably end up regretting this vote anyway... (?)

"Survivors, I shall read out the votes!" Alexa announced. "But before I do, are there any idols that would like to be used?"

...

...

...

Wii Fit Trainer tucked hers deeper into her pocket.

"Very well, I'll read them out... NOW!" He repeated.

***VOTING TIME***

First vote goes to Josuke Higashikata. (The teenager raises his eyebrow at the vote, and his two alliance partners begin to panic.)

Second vote goes to Johnny Bravo. One vote Johnny and Josuke. (Johnny is incredibly shocked at the vote.)

Third vote goes to Johnny Bravo. Two votes Johnny, one vote Josuke. (He begins sweating...)

Fourth vote goes to Arataka Reigen. One vote Reigen, two votes Johnny and one vote Josuke. (Reigen rolls his eyes, expecting it to be a sole vote.)

Fifth vote goes to Josuke Higashikata. Two votes Josuke, one vote Reigen, and two votes Johnny. (Josuke's eyebrow raise soon turns to a small look of anxiety as he bites his lip wearily.)

Sixth vote goes to Arataka Reigen. Two votes Reigen, Josuke and Johnny.

Seventh vote goes to Johnny Bravo. Three votes Johnny, two votes Reigen and Josuke.

Eighth vote goes to Arataka Reigen. Three votes Reigen and Johnny, two votes Josuke. (Reigen is nervous over the three votes he has so far.)

Ninth vote goes to Johnny Bravo. That's four votes Johnny, three votes Reigen and two votes Josuke.

Tenth vote goes to Arataka Reigen. Four votes Reigen and Johnny, with only two votes for Josuke. (The pair of them are very scared.)

"And, the one going out at 5-4-2 is..." Alexa held his word.

Samus, Reigen, Wii Fit Trainer and Dedede all knew who that person was due to their conversation, whilst the others weren't aware.

...

"Johnny Bravo! Sorry, but at five votes, you gotta go. Hand me your torch," demanded Alexa.

"Say-what-now?" He paused. "C'mon, this is some sorta mistake!"

Captain Falcon's jaw dropped at the reveal, and he was incredibly upset to see them. The same could be said for the others who had voted for Reigen.

Little Mac was especially annoyed that, if he had voted for Reigen, it would have resulted in the boxer getting what he wanted.

Johnny dashed up to the slips of paper and read them out.

"One, two, three, four, f-five?!" Johnny gasped. "This is some misunderstanding, clearly! The chicks out there can't have their future husband go out like this..."

Alexa repeated, "Please hand me your torch."

Eventually, he slumped over and grabbed his torch, handing it to Alexa. "This is one dumb Tribal Council..."

Johnny turned to the ten other survivors and decided to shrug off his disappointment as he decided to give out his final words.

"Hey, yo uhh, Captain Falcon, you can definitely win this. Win it for ol' Johnny here!" He commanded. "As for you smokin' hot mamas over there, I won't mind if you win yourselves, call me."

He then disappeared down the pathway, leaving the others either confused at his final words or upset over his departure.

"I don't even know his phone number..." Wii Fit Trainer buried her face in her hands. "How can someone be so gross and stupid at the same time?"

"Johnny was... a very interesting survivor! He managed to make it incredibly far against all odds and spent a decent amount of time under the radar until his gross behavior likely drove others to eliminate him. This just proves that strength isn't the only factor to voting for someone, but also how much they deserve to win! Goodnight, survivors..."

* * *

Johnny's Last Words: "This was great, but it needed more mamas. Only two out of twenty? I guess that witch was a girl but I don't think she looks the part to really count as one. Anyway, I'll just go back to my town and practice some fightin' moves, since the chicks dig that. Maybe I'll try to sign up for this game again, since I know that a cameo of the now-famous Johnny Bravo will make even MORE babes gravitate towards me. Byebye, Survivor... wait, I get to come back to the next few Tribal Councils because I'm a jury member? Rad..."

* * *

**VOTES**

Johnny Bravo: Wii Fit Trainer, King Dedede, Papyrus, Little Mac, Josuke Higashikata.

Arataka Reigen: Mario, Captain Falcon, Johnny Bravo, Sonic.

Josuke Higashikata: Arataka Reigen, Samus Aran.

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Wario. (USED)

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon. (USED)

Idol of Mirroring - Wii Fit Trainer.

Idol of Curses - Samus. (USED - CURSE WEARS OFF IN 2 MORE TRIBAL COUNCILS)

The Revival Idol - Mario. (USED)

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

Laau Haupa (Yellow Team)

\- Mario

\- Papyrus

\- Samus Aran

\- Josuke Higashikata

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- King Dedede

\- Captain Falcon

\- Little Mac

\- Arataka Reigen

\- Sonic


	15. Episode 11 - Deep Sea Diving!

Episode 11: Deep Sea Diving!

**Laau Haupa: Day 21**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Josuke Higashikata - Wii Fit Trainer - King Dedede - Captain Falcon - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen - Sonic

Today marked the twenty-first day of being stuck on this island for a crack at the million-dollar prize, as well as the hotel stay. The survivors definitely preferred the comfort of their own homes, but they were slowly beginning to get used to the island day by day, and the fact that Alexa implied that they'll be leaving the island more often for challenges scratched their growing itch of claustrophobia and isolation.

Whilst most of the survivors lost weight, naturally, due to the cutback in food from day one, they were definitely more accustomed to the new portion sizes. This meant that their appetites had overall decreased since they had gotten here.

The new items they were given, including the chessboard and spears for catching fish from the sea, proved to be very handy for the tribe's morale or for their still-ravenous appetites.

Right now, Papyrus and Reigen were playing against each other on a game of Chess, Papyrus' army was reduced to three Pawns, a cavalry, two Rooks, a Bishop and his King. Reigen's army included one Pawn, two Bishops, two Rooks, and his King.

"Bwahaha! Look at his face!" Dedede pointed to Reigen's face, which was beginning to lose composure. "I thought this so-called "Psychic" would be able to predict the bonehead's movements!"

Reigen shushed him abruptly, analyzing the chessboard.

Suddenly, his face turned smug as a grin formed. He slid his Rook across the board and, not only took out a Cavalry but also put Papyrus' vulnerable king in Check.

"What are you gonna do now?" He taunted. "You're oddly experienced for a skeleton."

Papyrus beamed. "WHY, THANK YOU FOR THE COMPLIMENT! I DISCOVERED THIS GAME UPON LEAVING THE UNDERGROUND, AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE A PUZZLE GAME BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE! YOU MAKE THE RIGHT MOVEMENTS AND..."

He paused as he slid his bishop into Reigen's threatening Rook, taking it out.

Reigen's grin shrank as his eyes widened, now his King was in Check. "WHA?!"

"YOU SOLVE THE PUZZLE BY ONE-UPPING YOUR OPPONENT!" He finished. "THAT'S HOW I SEE IT, AT LEAST, AND IT MAKES IT HAVE MORE SENSE. OH, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT! YOUR KING IS IN CHECK..."

Dedede continued to wheeze with uncontrollable laughter as Little Mac leaned in. "Looks like Papyrus has this," he chimed in.

Hesitantly, Reigen moved his King out of Bishop's line of sight.

In response, Papyrus slid his rook to threaten the King once again, but due to the positions of his pawn, other Rook and Bishop, it was a Checkmate.

"WOWIE, I WON?!" He cheered, jumping up and down with joy. "VICTORY FOR PAPYRUS!"

The "Psychic" grumbled as everyone around them applauded.

"That's the third opponent who tried to challenge Papyrus, I think," Josuke admitted. "First me, then Sonic, now he just beat Reigen..."

"You'd think such a clumsy skeleton wouldn't be good at-a Chess!" Mario looked at him. "Papyrus sure is-a mystery."

King Dedede continued to mock Reigen. "Bwahaha! It's hilarious how you call ya'self a Psychic, but you fall for obvious bait?"

The taunting caused him to snap a little bit, flaring his eyes. "If it's so easy, then you try and beat him!"

"A King doesn't play Chess, that game is for little children..." He rolled his eyes. "A REAL King does an arm wrestle!"

Sonic sniggered. "An arm wrestle? Sounds like something I have a better chance of winning on, at least compared to Chess."

"Who wants to challenge me first!" Dedede questioned, looking around.

Most people were hesitant to try and put the penguin and his massive hands, covered by mittens, to shame. Even the strong ones such as Little Mac were a little flummoxed on whether to take up the challenge or not.

"Usually I'd accept anyone in an arm wrestle! But Dedede... he can wield a giant, wooden, mechanical hammer for crying out loud! I care about my arms more than my pride, and I'm definitely not going to challenge a giant, overwhelmingly strong Penguin to an arm wrestle." - Wii Fit Trainer.

Eventually, from the crowd stepped Samus, her aura causing Dedede to swallow with anxiety.

"I have nothing better to do, so I'll accept your challenge," she shrugged.

She moved the chessboard off of the stump as she placed her arm on, gesturing for Dedede to challenge her.

"Oh, this is gonna be good..." Captain Falcon leaned in, excited.

"S-sure, have at you!" Stuttered Dedede, getting into position.

Both of them gripped each other's arms intensely, and Sonic decided to be the referee of the match as he stepped next to both of them.

"Three..." The hedgehog began counting down.

Samus shot a piercing glare into Dedede's eyes, causing his fake smile to break into a panicked and concerned frown for a second.

"Two..."

Sweat began forming around Dedede's face as he began shaking. Samus continued to shoot the glare at him.

"One... GO!"

He used all of his might to overcome her, but he was taken back to see that her strength was as strong as his, and she had a technique to her approach that made her almost stronger than Dedede.

"Looks like this will be an endurance exercise if anything," Wii Fit Trainer commented.

"GO SAMUS!" Reigen cheered, wanting Dedede to look like a fool.

"C'mon, you're twice her size, you should be able to beat her easily!" Little Mac said. "Is she THAT strong?"

Dedede shook his head. "Wha? No, she's puny! I-I-I'm just... I'm just goin' easy on her in case I break her arm!"

A minute passed before Dedede began to cave in, he tried to use more strength to beat Samus but it clearly wasn't enough.

Eventually, she slammed his hand against the stump, declaring herself as the winner as the penguin flicked his hand due to the pain. "Argh! I mean... erm."

"You lost, get over it," Reigen grinned.

Dedede folded his arms, tutting. "Fine, she beat me! I'm just too hungry to use all of my strength, so that damn bonehead better make me something now!"

"Don't we have those spears?" Queried Captain Falcon. "Those could be useful because I don't think rice is going to cut it for me any longer."

"Staying on this whole island is beginning to become a chore for me, even if I have grown to expect it. Not to mention my alliance broke, so I'll have one less vote on my side... at least that makes me less of a threat." - Captain Falcon.

Papyrus clicked his bony fingers. "AHA! I FORGOT ABOUT THOSE, I MANAGED TO FIND ANOTHER CRAMMED BETWEEN THE FLOORBOARDS OF ONE OF THE HUTS, SO NOW WE HAVE TWO!"

"I'll take one," said Samus, standing up. "I'm pretty good with accuracy, so I'll be able to catch most of the fish I find. There are probably loads of them, considering where we are."

Captain Falcon also decided to stand up. "I'll go too, there's nothing I want more than to have something to eat, that should fuel me to find more fish!"

Samus shot a neutral look at him, though she was slightly taken back to hear Captain Falcon of all people propose to catch the fish alongside her.

"VERY WELL! MAKE SURE TO GIVE THEM TO ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SO I MAY COOK THEM!" He posed confidently. "ALTHOUGH THEY MAY TAKE SOME TIME TO PERFECT, I UNFORTUNATELY DON'T HAVE GORDON TO GET ADVICE FROM. AND I'M ALSO FORBIDDEN FROM TALKING TO HIM IN TRIBAL COUNCILS OTHER THAN A SIMPLE HELLO, AS WELL."

Both of them nodded as they searched for the equipment, once finding the spears, they both headed off, bringing the clay pot with them to store their findings as the others continued to arm wrestle out of boredom.

The two of them traveled to the beach, near the hatch, and began looking around for fish.

Right off the bat, Samus found a moderately sized one, causing her to jab her spear through it.

She dumped it into the clay pot and continued searching.

Captain Falcon soon found a fish himself, but unfortunately missed it by an inch, causing the aquatic animal to scurry away from the coast out of instinct.

Some time passed, mostly silence with the occasional splashing from the two in an attempt to catch a fish.

However, Samus soon broke the silence with a simple question.

"I found it strange how you decided to tag along with me," she said. "Especially considering our previous events here."

The racer turned his head towards her, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I'm hungry! Besides, we haven't had much drama in a while, and I'm not the grudging type."

"I see..." Samus changed her focus back to catching the fish for a moment before turning back to him. "Although I do know that you voted me a few nights back when Gordon got eliminated."

He froze upon hearing it, and his face formed an innocent, slightly nervous grin. "I-I mean... you don't know that."

"You're stuttering is enough proof," she pointed out. "I don't care too much about that, anyway. I'm likely a massive threat among many people at this point, and I'm lucky that the idol saved my skin back then. Might as well tell you this now, but I don't see myself winning this game due to how some people may view me. My shot is just winning challenges, but with the unpredictability of them, as well as those Roulettes, that may not be enough. Not to mention my votes are going to be multiplied for the next few Tribal Councils."

"Well, I think that unless you're painfully arrogant about things, you'll have your doubts on your ability to win!" said Captain Falcon, his tone was assertive and confident in his words. "There were times where I thought that my loss was guaranteed, and those were ages ago! Now look at me, a couple of weeks later and still in the game. This is also coming from someone who doesn't have the most points, so overall, consider yourself lucky..."

Samus couldn't help but smile at his optimism. "Well, I probably am lucky. I've gotten four fish in only half of an hour, for example."

"What?!" He gasped. "I only managed to snag one of them..."

They continued to make small-talk for the next thirty minutes before they had one fish for each survivor, which would hopefully be enough to make everyone satisfied, especially when coupled with the beans and rice that were already at their disposal.

When they returned, it took Papyrus a little while to find a proper way to cook the fish, but he ended up deciding to hold them over the fire instead of boiling them like the rice and beans.

"Gah!" Little Mac's face grew sour. "What's that... bitter taste in my fish?"

"Open 'yer eyes, because that idiot managed to burn your fish!" Dedede prodded the excessively cooked dish as Little Mac pouted, knowing that he had to eat every last bite to keep his energy up...

"So you're telling me that Papyrus can now cook amazing rice and beans, a dish that should be impossible to make amazing due to how we have no access to herbs or spices... but he can't cook fish, a dish that should be impossible to make bad?! I hope he knows for next time..." - Little Mac.

* * *

**Roulette: Day 21**

The survivors walked onto the beach, and for the first time, there were now ten boxes instead of the eleven. Whilst it was a minor change that everyone predicted, the sight of the progress made many of the survivors feel good.

"Guess what I found in my wardrobe..." Alexa rhetorically asked, before slowly walking into the sight of the remaining contestants. He was dressed in a black tuxedo with a white undershirt, a black tophat with an electric purple ribbon slapped on. Overall, he looked a lot fancier than usual. "Doesn't this fit the Roulette bit a lot more? Like a casino doe-"

"It doesn't," Reigen confessed. "It really doesn't."

"Yeah, looks more like a fancy thing than a casino thing, but I see where you were coming from!" Assured Wii Fit Trainer. "You tried!"

...

...

...

"A-anyway," Alexa stuttered, taken back by the sudden negative responses. "Let's do this next roulette! This roulette will introduce the final type of points you can get! Before we had normal points, then negative points which decreased your total, now we have multiplier points! These will increase your total by, for example, ten percent, or twenty percent! With this in mind, four of the boxes will contain normal points, three will contain negative points, and three will contain multiplier points!"

Samus folded her arms. "Do you really have to complicate a roulette?"

"Of course I do! It makes things more interesting," he said. "Now shut up and pick your boxes! I'm already wounded from your attitudes towards my tuxedo..."

From Samus, who has the most points, to Reigen, who has the least points, the survivors began picking their boxes, from A to J, one by one.

Samus Aran chose Box D.

Mario chose Box C.

Papyrus chose Box G.

Little Mac chose Box J.

Sonic chose Box E.

Wii Fit Trainer chose Box A.

Josuke Higashikata chose Box H.

Captain Falcon chose Box I.

King Dedede chose Box F.

And lastly, Reigen chose Box B.

Upon receiving the cue, the survivors quickly opened up their boxes.

Samus Aran - 20% Multiplier

Mario - -15

Papyrus - -5

Little Mac - 10

Sonic - 10% Multiplier

Wii Fit Trainer - 30% Multiplier

Josuke Higashikata - -10

Captain Falcon - 15

King Dedede - 20

Arataka Reigen - 5

"Twenty percent multiplier?" Samus read aloud. "If my math's correct, then I'll receive an extra twenty points..."

"Oooohoho!" Dedede wrung his hands. "This king has finally gotten some bounty!"

"Only five? Well, better than losing some." Reigen shrugged to himself.

Alexa continued. "Now, it's time to combine your points earned or lost with your total!"

* * *

*SAFE HAVEN*

SAMUS ARAN - 120

LITTLE MAC - 94

PAPYRUS - 89

SONIC - 83

WII FIT TRAINER - 81

* * *

*DANGER ZONE*

MARIO - 80

CAPTAIN FALCON - 73

KING DEDEDE - 73

ARATAKA REIGEN - 55

JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA - 52

* * *

"From first to last, eh?" Josuke sighed. "I guess that's just how the cookie crumbles..."

Dedede shook his head. "If only I wasn't referred to as a "king", I would be a lot closer to the Safe Haven!"

"Well, you tend to-a point it out so much, how could they-a not include it?" Mario teased.

His mockery caused the penguin to growl. "I refer to myself as a KING because I am one, and I'm darn proud! I haven't seen you have any pride in your status of a toilet-dweller, ya lowlife!"

Before an argument could ensue, Alexa cut them off. "Well, that's a wrap! Remember that the challenge starts tomorrow, and trust me, it'll be a lot less dangerous than fighting a gigantic spherical ghost on top of an old rotting mansion, or at least I hope so."

"You should be confident in that claim!" Wii Fit Trainer claimed, shooting him an angry look. "I won't be happy if it puts anyone's lives at risk!"

"Pssh, it won't. Anyway, all of you, get lost!" He demanded.

* * *

**Challenge: Day 22**

"Oh great, the boats are back..." Grumbled Little Mac. "This challenge is still going to be dangerous, isn't it?"

"I'm-a going to-a go out on a limb here and believe Alexa," replied Mario.

Wii Fit Trainer rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well be prepared to eat your own words."

As they were discussing the possibility of the challenge threatening their safety, Alexa popped out from the adjacent forest and walked over to the beach.

"Hello, survivors!" He waved, as usual. "The next challenge is going to begin! However, like last time, we'll have to go there on a boat!"

"If I see any fog then I'm going to jump out the damn boat and swim back to the island ma' self!" King Dedede warned. "So ya better not take us to any more haunted islands."

"Relax, I'd never repeat the same challenge," Alexa denied. "Just get in the damn boat and quit yapping."

On his command, the survivors reluctantly entered the same boat from the last challenge, as it began to drift away from the island.

Thirty minutes of listening to the roaring boat engine passed before the sound began to die down, leaving them in the middle of the ocean. The outline of the island they traveled from was still visible, although mostly blotted out by the horizon.

"Err, did the boat break down or something?" Josuke peeked over the edge of the boat, and nothing but the ocean was present underneath or around it. "We're in the middle of the ocean and we just stopped."

Alexa was silent.

"Yo, hello! Someone just asked you a question," Little Mac informed. "Please answer it..."

Five more seconds passed before Alexa finally emerged back into their view.

"Don't worry survivors! This is the challenge's location," he revealed with a grin. "Today's challenge will be taking place underwater, to clarify."

Sonic's jaw dropped upon hearing those words, specifically the word "underwater".

"WELL, GOOD THING I DON'T HAVE TO HOLD MY BREATH! NYEHEHEHEH!" Papyrus taunted.

Alexa folded his arms and shot him a slightly annoyed look. "Do you guys seriously think that I'd have you hold your breath for most of the challenge? I'm not that cruel! You'll be given scuba diving gear, alongside an oxygen tank that SHOULD last you thirty minutes before giving you an indication to swim back up. That will be the challenge's time limit."

"S-so we're going to be diving underwater, I get that part, but what ARE we doing underwater?" Sonic asked, quivering with fear. "I-I'm not a fan of the ocean, in a-all honesty."

"You'll be hunting for pearls! Fake ones, obviously, I'm not Bill Gates," Alexa joked, albeit with a slightly offended tone. "These pearls are scattered along this part of the ocean, hidden in crevices, behind plants, and even in plain sight. You will store the pearls in a fishing net that comes with your scuba suit, and you will all hand me your pearls to count up at the end of the challenge! I'll get this out of the way now by saying that whoever has the most pearls will receive a hearty one-hundred points!"

Josuke jumped back with shock. "O-ONE HUNDRED?! That'll jump me to first, with a considerable lead at that!"

"Mmhmm, second place will receive ninety points, third place will receive eighty points, and so on until last place gets an underwhelming ten points!" Explained Alexa. "I feel like this challenge will REALLY spread out the scores."

"And making it impossible to catch up to someone is a good thing, right?" Wii Fit Trainer sarcastically asked.

Alexa nodded. "It sure is, because it WON'T be impossible to catch up with someone in this game, and that's a fact!"

"He has a point," Little Mac agreed. "It wasn't too long ago when I had the least amount of points, and now I have the second-most!"

The host soon grew impatient, tired of responding to the concerns of the survivors. "Alright, let's just get this challenge started, shall we? Survivors, grab your scuba gear, your oxygen tank, AND your pearl net!"

Obliging his forceful demand, the survivors trekked over to the gear, resting inside of a large black and yellow box that had been dragged out by two underpaid staff members as Alexa watched them equip it, making sure they knew how to put the gear on properly.

It was basic scuba gear, consisting of a white and green scuba mask, a mainly yellow oxygen tank, and white and green fins. The color choices were overall quite bizarre, but the designs themselves were not out of the ordinary whatsoever.

Some gear sets were labeled with the names of survivors, such as Dedede, Mario, and Sonic, as their heads were marginally different from the rest of the cast, and thus they had to wear different sized ones to match their head and face.

After getting into their suits, the survivors were nervous to jump into the cold sea, but Alexa certainly didn't care too much about that, as his excitement for the challenge was a bigger priority to him.

"Survivors, on the count of three, you will jump into these waters and search for the pearls!" He reminded. "Now, let's begin the countdown..."

Sonic shivered out of all of the nervous survivors, mainly due to his fear of the ocean, specifically the thought of going underwater and drowning, to which even the gear wasn't able to calm his nerves fully.

"Three..."

The survivors adjusted their gear to make sure it was on properly, and also to make sure that it was at least somewhat comfortable, though the goggles pressing harshly against their faces would prove to be bothersome regardless of how comfortable everything else was.

"Two..."

Sonic had chills run down his spine, throughout his whole body, even. He took a deep breath as Alexa finished the countdown.

"ONE, GO!" Called Alexa.

Almost at the same time, each survivor plunged into the sea, and to their surprise, the water wasn't TOO shallow, only five to ten meters deep before they hit the bottom, depending on where they were.

Sonic's eyes were widened from fear, and he quickly dashed down to the seafloor to search for as many pearls as he can, trying to take his mind off of the setting he was thrown into.

As for the other nine, they took their time when sinking to the bottom, taking in the whimsical, majestic atmosphere of the blue sea, seeing loads of tiny little tropical fish swim in front of their noses, as bigger fish glided around in the distance.

Seeing the schools of fish scatter as they entered their path brought some survivors tranquility, some of them almost forgot that they were in a competition about voting each other off for money and luxury, they just wanted to kick it back a little and stare into the beautiful environment that was in front of their very eyes.

However, all of that peace broke apart when fake, sheet-white pearls entered their vision, beneath their feet and scattered around them, hiding in little crevices or in little clusters of oceanic plants. As much as they hated to do so, they had to spend these thirty minutes gathering fake rocks so they can win the show they were on.

Captain Falcon swam over to a small group of pearls, three of them sitting next to each other. He pulled out his net and crammed the three pearls into the net, keeping his eye on it in case they fell out.

Reigen saw that most people were already searching for pearls in the middle of the area, which gave the "Psychic" the idea to split away from the group, as he would have all of the pearls to himself.

However, he wasn't the only one with that idea, as Mario and Josuke had a similar idea. Dedede was also splitting away from the main group, albeit on accident due to a distant group of pearls causing him to distance himself from the others in order for him to pursue them.

After grabbing a couple of the pearls, the fierce king made eye-contact with a large portion of pearls, around eight of them, resting in a pile right below his feet.

He saw that Josuke was traveling towards it, which caused him to sink down as fast as he could before the Stand user could nab them.

However, by the time he reached the pile, Josuke had too, which began a conflict between them.

Dedede signaled a cut-throat gesture using his hand against his neck, trying to threaten and scare off Josuke, but the teenager clearly wasn't having it.

He decided to summon Crazy Diamond to rapidly punch the sand nearby, launching some of it into Dedede's face and causing his mask to become blinded by the sediment.

By time he wiped his goggles clear of sand, Josuke had already taken three pearls and had the fourth and fifth in his hand.

Josuke grunted with surprise as he saw Dedede hurl towards him, causing him to retreat with his five pearls, leaving the last three to Dedede.

"That'll show ya, don't mess with me..." He grumbled under his breath, nabbing the remaining pearls to himself.

Meanwhile, Mario had managed to find his own large pile of pearls, consisting of seven.

"That's a lucky number!" He said to himself, placing them in his net.

Papyrus continued to glide around the waters, almost finding the exercise to be fun in a way, even if his objective was all that was on his mind right now.

The skeleton's eyes almost burst out when a gigantic pile of sixteen pearls caught his eye by the corner, causing him to spin around and grin with innocent and naive joy.

He swam over, thrilled to have found such a large bounty, but he soon realized that he wasn't alone.

Samus was nearing in on him, which caused the skeleton to scramble over to the pile and fill his net with as many as possible.

However, Samus soon bashed him out of the way, which was mostly harmless, but caused him to tumble away from the pile, as well as letting two pearls escape from his net, which distracted him.

"HEY!" He yelled through his mask before swimming back over, nabbing the two pearls that tried to drift away from him.

As Samus began filling her net, she saw a ring of sand appear around her and the pile, which caused Papyrus to fly back a small bit from the current.

Sonic had appeared and was taking the pearls for himself.

By the time the pearls were all gone, Samus had gotten eight, Sonic had gotten seven, and Papyrus only got a slightly disappointing five, which was a quarter of what he expected to get when he first had a glimpse of the pile.

After that incident, it was now only ten minutes into the challenge, and the pearls were beginning to become more a challenge to find.

Little Mac and Wii Fit Trainer were close by, which, on the outside, seemed like a normal thing that both of them were fine with. However, in their heads, they were incredibly suspicious of one another, expecting theft the next time they encountered a pearl pile.

When Little Mac found a pile of three pearls, he turned his head to see Wii Fit Trainer, who thankfully appeared to be distracted. He looked at her empty net with a smug grin as he filled his net with the pearls.

After doing so, he looked back and saw Wii Fit Trainer, her net containing six pearls.

His smug grin soon faded and was replaced with a mix of bitterness, surprise, and confusion, as she gave a peaceful wave to him.

Little Mac groaned upon seeing her get so many pearls in so little time, but he decided to move on and find more.

During this, Reigen was in the more ambient parts of the ocean, searching for pearls. He managed to find ten throughout three piles, so far and was pretty happy with what he found.

Throughout the next ten minutes of the challenge, the survivors barely interacted with one another beyond acknowledging their existence, and they minded their own business as they searched for the pearls.

Eight minutes were remaining, and the oxygen tanks were beginning to get quite low. Sonic had been keeping track of the time near-perfectly, and the fact that the oxygen tank was running out made him nervous, it's like he could almost hear that dreadful melody of drowning in his head, slowly creeping up the more time he wasted searching for pearls. Luckily, the hedgehog had plenty of experience underwater despite his fear, which helped him keep his cool, especially when there were no Badniks or dangerous traps or constructions to worry about.

However, little did he and the others know, a dangerous threat to their lives was traveling around the very area.

A shark, specifically a large tiger shark around six meters in length, was swimming around, minding its own business.

It swam over to Captain Falcon, who had his head down near the ground, reaching his hand into a small hole that contained two pearls inside.

With a smirk of satisfaction, the bounty hunter turned around to find more pearls, and he froze in sight.

Other survivors, such as Josuke and Wii Fit Trainer, managed to see the tiger shark approach the unsuspecting Captain Falcon, which caused both of them to panic.

The shark stood still, as did Captain Falcon, and they remained like that for a good ten seconds...

Suddenly, it lunged towards him, its maw gaping, revealing the razor-sharp teeth within its mouth.

Out of survival instinct, he thrust his fist into the nose of the shark, which was apparently the animal's most sensitive spot. This caused the shark to jolt backward and slowly back away from him as he quickly swam away from it, taking a few turns around some tall rocks in the ocean to hide from it.

Luckily, his hiding spot contained even more pearls, this time a medium-stash of five.

He stuffed them into his net as he saw the shark swim past, heading towards the unsuspecting Papyrus.

This sight caused Captain Falcon to yell to Papyrus, but his voice was easily snuffed out by the water.

"OOOH, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE!" Papyrus wrung his hands underwater, finding two pearls. "DON'T MIND IF I TAKE YOU TWO! NYEHEHEH!"

As he placed them into his net, he felt something violently brush against his arm, and he turned to see the tiger shark analyzing him.

"GAH!" He cried. "DON'T EAT ME! I ALREADY HAD A SNAKE TRY TO DO SO, AND IT DIDN'T GO SO WELL FOR HIM! THEREFORE, I CAN CONCLUDE THAT BITING ME WOULD BE A BIG MISTAK-"

Papyrus was cut off by the shark biting his arm, causing him to shriek in terror.

Captain Falcon was the only one aware of this, so he swam over as fast as he could as the skeleton attempted to fight back, bonking his other arm over the head of the shark, but it refused to let go.

Before any help could arrive, the shark managed to snatch the arm off of Papyrus, swimming off with the limb.

"NOOOO!" He screamed. "NOT AGAIN!"

Captain Falcon swam up, staring at the retreating shark, way too fast for anyone to catch up, aside from Sonic, who was nowhere to be seen.

Before they could attempt to communicate with one another, a loud hiss came from their oxygen tank, which reminded Captain Falcon of the thirty-minute time limit, causing him to grab Papyrus by his other arm and swim upwards, the concerned skeleton not questioning a single thing.

He saw other survivors retreat back upwards, and Sonic had already zipped to the top upon hearing the hiss, mainly due to sheer terror.

When they hit the surface, Alexa greeted them.

"That hiss marks the end of the challenge!" He announced. "Get onto the boat, and bring those pearls with you!"

"Ma' net's heavy, so that HAS to be a good sign!" Dedede concluded.

Reigen nodded. "Mine is heavy too, so maybe I'll be safe for once!"

"I doubt it..." He smugly retaliated.

As they all climbed onto the boat, Papyrus pointed to his missing arm. "IS IT NOW THE TIME TO TELL EVERYONE THAT MY ARM GOT STOLEN BY A SHARK?!"

Alexa bit his lip upon hearing those words, he could've sworn that there were no sharks around there!

"I-a didn't see a single shark myself," said Mario.

Josuke walked up to him. "Well I did, hopefully, this will work, but I'm not too confident."

He summoned Crazy Diamond, and with a sigh of anxiety, he healed the skeleton.

Some time passed, and Papyrus shook his head.

"WELL... LOOKS LIKE IT ISN'T GOING TO WOR-"

His sad comment was abruptly cut off by his own arm bonking him over the head, it then proceeded to fix itself back into his shoulder socket, completely repairing the skeleton.

Alexa gave a massive sigh of relief as the Great Papyrus jumped for joy.

"WOWIE... YOU'RE INCREDIBLE!" He cheered. "I DIDN'T EXPECT YOUR POWERS TO BE THAT HANDY!"

"So he can fix things from any distance..." Samus studied his powers.

Captain Falcon eyed her, noticing how she was analyzing Josuke, and almost got a perfect idea of what she was thinking about, based off of how she usually is.

"Well, now that the scare is over with, let's add up all of those pearls!" Exclaimed Alexa. "You all seem to have a plentiful amount that you've collected over the thirty minutes, which is exciting to see, and also a relief for whoever has to fish those fake pearls out of the area, as you all sliced the amount of work he has to do by a good chunk! Also, tie-breakers shall be decided by alphabetical order for the two or more that are tied.

He proceeded to add up all of the pearls...

Arataka Reigen - 14 Pearls - 100

Captain Falcon - 13 Pearls - 90

Samus Aran - 12 Pearls - 80

Sonic - 12 Pearls - 70

Wii Fit Trainer - 11 Pearls - 60

Mario - 10 Pearls - 50

Little Mac - 9 Pearls - 40

King Dedede - 8 Pearls - 30

Josuke Higashikata - 7 Pearls - 20

Papyrus - 7 Pearls - 10

"TEN?!" Papyrus gawked. "I LOST AN ARM FOR A PATHETIC TEN POINTS?!"

"Unfortunately so," confirmed Alexa. "Now, it's time to add those points onto your current totals!"

* * *

*SAFE HAVEN*

SAMUS ARAN - 200

CAPTAIN FALCON - 163

ARATAKA REIGEN - 155

SONIC - 153

WII FIT TRAINER - 141

* * *

*DANGER ZONE*

LITTLE MAC - 134

MARIO - 130

KING DEDEDE - 103

PAPYRUS - 99

JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA - 72

* * *

"S-still last," Josuke groaned. "Come on, the pearls were hard to find!"

"These scores are pretty spaced now! A one-hundred and twenty-eight gap between Samus and Josuke, who have the most and least amount of points," described Alexa. "Now, it's been a short challenge, but one heck of a workout! Go back to your tribe after we return to the island and discuss who to eliminate, and I'll see you guys tonight..."

* * *

**Laau Haupa: Day 22**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Josuke Higashikata - Wii Fit Trainer - King Dedede - Captain Falcon - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen - Sonic

"So..." Reigen began, he felt incredibly cocky due to how he was safe from elimination. "What's going on with elimination, then?"

Four others were in the group he was talking with, those being Samus, King Dedede, Mario, and Captain Falcon. The fact that those specific people were in the group came down to coincidence, as Mario and Captain Falcon decided to group up with King Dedede, Samus, and Reigen so they weren't left in the dark at Tribal Council.

"I ain't gonna lie, one of 'dem alliance boys have gotta go!" Affirmed Dedede. "We can't let an alliance of three stick around for any longer! Luckily that bonehead Papyrus has made things painfully obvious."

"Hmm, it appears that people are now going to be focusing on eliminating those in alliances now, which is honestly the right way to move in this game. Having the group of three get this far without us doing anything was a stupid move by everyone, because if one of them targets us, then the other two may do so as well." - Samus Aran.

Mario nodded. "Yeah, I-a like them, but I can't let my liking towards people distract me from the fact that they could-a easily win if we don't do anything now!"

"You're completely sure that they're in an alliance, right?" Captain Falcon checked. "If so, then I'll probably vote for Papyrus."

"Why not Josuke?" Asked Samus. "His stand grants him an incredible advantage!"

The plumber shook his head. "I don't think I'm going to-a vote Little Mac over Josuke."

"Hear me out," he began. "Papyrus seems like one of those drifter types of guys, meaning that he can easily get to the finals over everyone else because people don't see him as a threat. My theory is that the jury will be used to pick the winner..."

"That makes sense, but I'm not sure if I'm willing to bank on your own theory," Reigen confessed. "Papyrus is weak, it doesn't matter if he gets to the end because we know he won't win anyway. The only chance that it won't matter is if the jury DOES get to pick the winner, but we don't know that at all. Besides, what makes Papyrus the type of guy to get voted for over everyone else?"

"If Alexa just told people what the jury was for then this would be a lot easier..." - Arataka Reigen.

Captain Falcon pointed to the clay pot in the distance. "He cooks for us... he's on good terms with a lot of people... he's pretty social too, for a skeleton that isn't aware of how grating he sounds."

"You-a have a point, but again, as what-a Reigen said, that's just a theory!" Mario exclaimed. "We can't-a go off a theory."

"Look, it's not like Josuke has a big shot at recovering to Safe Haven anyway, we can just vote him off next time," he suggested. "EVERYONE is a threat here, so I'm going for Papyrus."

Dedede tutted. "Dumb choice! I'm goin' for that Little Mac fella. Josuke can fix me up if I get hurt, and he can fix ma' robes up if they ever get torn, so I'll give that kid some extra time here."

"My clothes have gotten a lot more worn out throughout this show! They're getting soggy and covered in dirt or sand, then I have to sleep in 'em every night in some lower-class hut! The last thing I want 'em to do is rip before I get back home so Escargoon can wash em' up for me, which means that keepin' the kid around will be a good call!" - King Dedede.

Reigen rubbed his chin. "I'll have to think about it a little more, though I'm probably going to stick with Josuke."

"Same-a here," Mario agreed. "I'm-a not going to-a vote Papyrus, but I'm a little torn between the other two."

Samus remained silent, unsure of whether to follow through with Captain Falcon's logic, vote Josuke alongside Reigen, or vote Little Mac alongside Dedede.

As they came to their separate conclusions, a group between Sonic, Little Mac, Josuke and Papyrus had formed, and they were also discussing who to eliminate.

"I'm thinking Mario!" Little Mac suggested. "He's strong, can jump really high, and is pretty social. Maybe if we're lucky with our four votes, we can potentially eliminate him?"

"That group over there is probably coming to a conclusion too, I don't think four votes is going to be enough," said Sonic. "Maybe if there are people disagreeing, but I dunno. It's not like I have to worry anyway, but you three definitely will!"

Josuke gave a nod of acknowledgment. "Yeah, we'll have to figure that out, but first we need to come up with who to vote. Mario seems like a good choice, but I'm more or less targeting King Dedede, he seems to be pretty sour towards others."

"BUT HE'S A KING! WE HAVE TO KEEP SUCH ROYALTY IN MIND, JOSUKE!" Papyrus scalded.

"Being royalty won't protect him forever, especially when he's a pretty shabby royal figure..." Explained Little Mac.

"WELL, FAIR ENOUGH, BUT ROYAL FIGURES ARE IMPORTANT..." The skeleton sighed. "NO MATTER, JUST DON'T TELL HIM THAT I VOTED FOR HIM IF WE DO DECIDE ON HIM!"

Sonic folded his arms. "Well, our only choice is Dedede or Mario. I'm probably going to go with... Mario! No hard feelings towards him, but I know how well that plumber can do, I did the Olympics with him! Maybe this could settle our rivalry?"

The hedgehog snickered to himself before Papyrus chimed in. "I LIKE MARIO, BUT HIS VICTORY SHALL BE SHORT-LIVED!... MUCH LIKE HIS HEIGHT."

"Ouch, no need to go there," Little Mac inhaled sharply.

"APOLOGIES, IT WAS A LOW HANGING FRUIT, PERHAPS TOO LOW..." He pouted.

"Outnumbered, eh?" Josuke groaned before pulling a cheeky grin. "I better vote for Mario then!"

"Now we just need to figure out how to get an extra vote in..." Sonic rubbed his chin. "I know!"

Little Mac raised an eyebrow at the quick response. "That sure was fast?"

"Well, that's how Sonic is, fast!" He smirked. "Anyway, why not ask Wii Fit Trainer?"

"EH, WHY HER?" Papyrus scratched the back of his skull.

"She's not in the group over there. In fact, I can't see her at all! Maybe I can scout around for her and convince her," he shrugged. "It's worth a shot, right?"

"Sure, go ahead and do it!" Josuke encouraged, full of enthusiasm.

Sonic nodded as he zipped off, beginning to circle the island in an attempt to find Wii Fit Trainer.

A minute passed of him running around the island, looking in every nook and cranny in an attempt to search for the girl, but eventually, he found her, in the middle of the coast, doing stretches.

Her smile was wide and controlled as if she was fully tranquil doing the exercises, and the hedgehog felt a little bad to interrupt her but decided to do so anyway.

"Err, hey!" He waved. "I've come to look for you since you weren't around tribe."

"Oh, well I thought it'd be a good time to catch up on some vital exercising whilst I'm still immune," she smiled. "What do you need? Did something happen?"

The hedgehog was slightly put off guard by her immediate jump to something bad happening. "Actually, no! I just found it weird that you weren't discussing who to eliminate with the others."

"I see." The pale trainer stopped her exercises, looking straight at Sonic. "I've already made my mind up, and I'm not too bothered about confirming it with the others considering that they're probably doing the same."

"Really?" He queried. "Who are you voting?"

"Papyrus, Josuke or Little Mac," she answered, turning back to her exercises, but beginning to explain why. "I like them a lot! They're fun and nice people, but sometimes you got to do things you don't wish to do, you know? I can't just not vote them at this point, because I'm too far into this show to let an opportunity as big as splitting an alliance go."

Sonic didn't know what to say, but he felt like what she was saying was true.

"I-I see," he nodded. "Maybe you're right. I've just been friends with those three for a while, and I used to be on their alliance, but ever since I came back I'm not sure if I still am apart of it."

"Well just know that getting me to change my mind is pretty much not going to happen, sorry." Wii Fit Trainer stopped her exercising again. "Just know that those three are threats, and if you want to join the threats, then others including I will probably have to vote for you. It's foolish, making an alliance so painfully obvious!"

...

Sonic looked down at the ground before looking back at her. "Y'know what... here's what we're going to do..."

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 22**

The eleventh Tribal Council, and the third Merge Tribal Council, had just begun, and the survivors planted themselves on the benches, a similar nervous tension surrounded them, much like last time.

Before Alexa appeared to start the questions, Gordon, the first jury member, entered and sat down on the jury bench. Quickly following him was Johnny, who gave pointed both of his fingers to Captain Falcon and greeted him, as well as the two ladies, which caused both of them to revolt.

After they sat down on the jury bench, Alexa quickly entered, greeting the survivors.

"Third Tribal Council! No twists or anything to say about this one, so let's get on with these questions by asking Josuke how it feels to drop from the most amount of points to the least!" Alexa asked.

Josuke folded his arms. "It sucks, because not only am I not safe tonight, but I'll have to get lucky and earn a lot of points in the future challenges if I want to be safe again."

"Do you think you'll be able to do that by next Council?" He interrogated with curiosity.

"...Maybe, but if I try hard enough I could! I'm not lagging behind by TOO much... I hope," he gulped.

Alexa nodded before moving on to Samus. "...And Samus, how does it feel to have the lead by such a big amount?"

"It makes me feel great, to put it simply," she responded with a satisfied look.

"I imagine it's especially comforting given that you still have that curse on you," he reminded.

Samus gave a nod. "That especially is why I feel great, because if I survive this Council and the next one without going into the Danger Zone, then I should be fine."

Finally, Alexa pointed to Sonic. "Sonic! You've been safe thus far since you returned, do you feel that you may be eliminated if you're in danger again?"

"I don't think it's guaranteed, but it'll be a big risk, especially with how there'll be fewer people by time I do land in danger again!" Sonic gritted his teeth. "And it's pretty intense being in danger whilst also being one of the biggest threats."

"Arrogant but true..." Reigen half-joked.

Alexa nodded. "Well, let's begin the votes, shall we?"

Each survivor stood up and cast their votes...

King Dedede: I ain't gonna vote Josuke, but what I AM gonna do is make sure that the stupid alliance goes down, and I'll kill two birds with one stone by getting rid of a big threat. (Little Mac)

Papyrus: APOLOGIES, SUPER MARIO, BUT I FEEL LIKE "THE GREAT PAPYRUS" IS A BETTER TITLE THAN BEING CALLED "SUPER"... NOW, TO RELATE TO THE VOTING PROCESS, I'LL HAVE TO VOTE YOU OVER KING DEDEDE! (Mario)

Captain Falcon: You're a pretty big threat, even if you're pretty weak! I'm sorry Pap, but you're going... I will miss your rice and beans, though. (Papyrus)

Samus Aran: I'm not completely sure if this is the right option, but I'm more or less convinced that, if you DO get eliminated, then things will be a lot easier for me in the long-term. (?)

Wii Fit Trainer: After some speaking with Sonic, I feel like I'm confident in voting for... you! (?)

"Survivors, I will now read out the votes!" Announced Alexa. "But before I do, would anyone like to play an idol?"

...

...

...

"Very well... let's get this started!" He wrung his hands. "Oh man, this is my favorite bit..."

***VOTING TIME***

First vote goes to Little Mac, one vote Little Mac. (Little Mac gulps, expecting more votes towards him to be revealed.)

Second vote goes to Josuke, one vote Josuke, one vote Little Mac. (Both Josuke and Little Mac are confused.)

Third vote goes to Mario, one vote Mario, Josuke and Little Mac.

Fourth vote goes to Papyrus, one vote Papyrus, Mario, Josuke and Little Mac. (All four of them were both confused and anxious.)

Fifth vote goes to Papyrus, two votes Papyrus, one vote for Mario, Josuke and Little Mac. ("NYEH?!")

Sixth vote goes to Josuke, two votes Josuke and Papyrus, one vote for Mario and Little Mac.

Seventh vote goes to Mario, two votes Mario, Josuke and Papyrus, with one vote for Little Mac.

Eighth vote goes to Mario, that's three votes Mario, two votes Josuke and Papyrus, and one vote Little Mac. (Mario gulp intensely.)

Ninth vote goes to Josuke, three votes Josuke and Mario, with two votes Papyrus and one vote Little Mac. (Josuke bites his lip.)

"And the one eliminated at a split 4-3-2-1 is..." Alexa held his tongue.

...

...

...

"JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA! With four votes, that's enough, hand me your torch," announced Alexa.

Little Mac and Papyrus were beyond surprised, even more so than Josuke, who accepted defeat and stood up.

He grabbed his torch and strolled over, one of his hands were tucked in his pocket.

"Yeah yeah, I'm done with Survivor aren't I?" He interrupted Alexa before he could even begin. "It was fun! I should've seen this coming, too... Little Mac and Pap, I hope you two win through all this. Don't let this bring you down."

Everyone waved goodbye as he disappeared down the pathway, Alexa snuffing out his torch.

"Well, that's that! Josuke's Stand brought an interesting dynamic to Survivor. Unfortunately for him, the price to pay for that was being a threat, which likely lead to his own demise. I wish you remaining nine survivors the best of luck, and goodnight!" Alexa proceeded to shoo them away...

* * *

Josuke's Last Words: "I enjoyed Survivor a lot! I made friends, I got to use my stand, but I don't think I tried hard enough... if I were to do it again, I'd try to make my alliance less obvious too, since that was probably the thing that got me eliminated the most. I'm just happy that, after my unknown job as Jury is done, I can go back to Morioh to Okuyasu, Koichi, my mom, and everyone else!"

* * *

**VOTES**

Josuke's Voters: Sonic, Wii Fit Trainer, Arataka Reigen, Mario.

Mario's Voters: Josuke, Little Mac, Papyrus.

Papyrus' Voters: Samus, Captain Falcon.

Little Mac's Voters: King Dedede.

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Wario. (USED)

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon. (USED)

Idol of Mirroring - Wii Fit Trainer.

Idol of Curses - Samus. (USED - CURSE WEARS OFF IN 1 MORE TRIBAL COUNCIL)

The Revival Idol - Mario. (USED)

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

Laau Haupa (Yellow Team)

\- Mario

\- Papyrus

\- Samus Aran

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- King Dedede

\- Captain Falcon

\- Little Mac

\- Arataka Reigen

\- Sonic


	16. Episode 12 - A-maze-ing Caving!

Episode 12: A-maze-ing Caving!

**Laau Haupa: Day 23**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Wii Fit Trainer - King Dedede - Captain Falcon - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen - Sonic

Ever since the elimination of Josuke Higashikata yesterday, the number of survivors had been more than reduced to half since the very beginning of the competition. Only nine people remained at this point, and whilst it was still a loud and bustling group, it definitely felt a lot more spacious than it did when they first began the game, and it even felt more spacious compared to a few days before when the merge began!

The nine survivors were in two groups, and these groups were no longer dictated by alliances for the most part, as almost all of the known alliances had been reduced.

Papyrus, Little Mac, Wii Fit Trainer, Sonic and King Dedede were in the first group, occupying the Chessboard, either to play against another person or to spectate the whole game. Captain Falcon, Samus, Reigen and Mario were in the second group, which were all out on the beach, taking turns hunting for fish to eat.

"Damn it!" Cursed Little Mac, throwing his King across the camp. "You beat me again! This game sucks..."

"NOW NOW, I UNDERSTAND SUCH FRUSTRATION..." Papyrus nodded with an unintentionally smug grin. "HOWEVER, YOU MUST NOT RESORT TO THROWING THE PIECES OF THE GAME! IF THEY GET LOST THEN WE WON'T BE ABLE TO PLAY."

He sighed, feeling slightly guilty over throwing the tiny piece. "Yeah... I know. It's just annoying when I keep on losing, especially when it's not even a close game!"

"I get it, I played him twice and he managed to beat me without losing more than five pieces," Wii Fit Trainer empathized. "Just retrieve the piece and take a break, I'm sure somebody else here would like a turn anyway!"

Dedede shook his head assertively. "Naw, I don't play pathetic games like Chess! I'm only here to laugh at the losers."

Sonic shrugged. "Eh, I'm not in the mood to play Chess. I should have gone with Mario and the others to get fish, but I guess it's too late for that now."

"WELL, LOOKS LIKE IT'S TIME TO PUT THIS GAME TO REST FOR THE TIME BEING!" Announced Papyrus, before he was handed the King piece from Little Mac.

He proceeded to place the board and the pieces into the blank cardboard box it came with before neatly tucking it in the corner of the hut.

Alongside everyone else, Papyrus sat down, in silence.

After a few seconds, everyone caught on to how awkward the lack of talking was getting, so Wii Fit Trainer attempted to break the silence herself.

"So..." She began. "What are you guys going to do with the money if you win?"

"Go into the big city with a couple of minions guardin' me!" Dedede wrung his hands. "Real-world dollars are useless in Dreamland, so it's not like I have much of a choice with what I can spend the money on! I'm more in it for that nice Luxuriom Hotel!"

Little Mac gave a nod of approval. "Well, that's pretty fair. I didn't expect royalty to be in it for money, so the fact that you care about the Hotel more is understandable. I'm pretty rich myself after getting to the top of the WVBA, so I'm more interested in the Hotel too. I'll probably give away most of the money to charity..."

"That's nice! I'll probably give away around half of my money to some charities," agreed Wii Fit Trainer, wiping the dust from her clothes.

Papyrus shook his head angrily. "YOU SHOULDN'T WASTE SUCH MONEY!"

Sonic shrugged. "It's their choice, and giving it away to charity isn't exactly "wasting". What are you going to spend it on?"

"PSSH, WELL THAT'S AN EASY QUESTION..." Papyrus rubbed his chin. "HMM..."

An awkward, unexpected fifteen seconds of silence from the skeleton passed.

"Doesn't seem like an easy question," remarked Sonic with a snigger.

"QUIET! I'M TRYING TO THINK!" Scalded the monster. "MAYBE I COULD GO TO A CASINO! THAT'S WHAT ALL RICH PEOPLE DO, FROM WHAT I SEE ON HUMAN TELEVISION."

"So you want to blow away all of your money for the chance of making more?" Little Mac raised an eyebrow. "Now THAT is wasting money."

"...ERM, IT'S WASTING MONEY?" He asked, shocked. "WHY WOULD RICH PEOPLE WASTE THEIR OWN MONEY?"

Sonic quickly answered his question. "Greed. They want to gamble to earn more money, but sometimes they can end up homeless, and that's definitely no-good."

"WELL OBVIOUSLY HAVING NO HOME IS "NO-GOOD", SONIC!" Papyrus groaned. "WELL, NOW I'M COMPLETELY STUMPED ON WHAT I SHOULD SPEND MY MONEY ON... I'D PROBABLY THINK CLEARER IF I DIDN'T FEEL SO DISTRESSED."

Wii Fit Trainer perked her ears up upon hearing that fact. "Oh, what's making you feel so down?"

"JOSUKE GOT ELIMINATED! WE WERE GOOD FRIENDS, AND HE EVEN SAVED MY ARM SEVERAL TIMES," he clutched his arm, visibly pouting. "IT'S AS GOOD AS NEW, EVEN AFTER BEING STOLEN BY A SNAKE AND A SHARK! HOW UNLUCKY COULD ONE SKELETON GET?! JOSUKE CAME ALONG AND HELPED ME OUT TWICE... AND WELL, NOW HE'S GONE."

Sonic and Wii Fit Trainer then felt a very mild wave of guilt wash over them. They didn't regret their vote at all, but they certainly didn't like how it apparently had a toll on the morale of Papyrus.

"I don't want to admit it, but losing Josuke sucked, and it still does! He had such a useful Stand, but I guess the fact that he was a threat, plus how he was in our three-man alliance, was proooobably the main reason as to why he got booted off by the others. Something doesn't add up though, because Mario received three votes instead of four. I feel like either Papyrus or Sonic decided to backstab Josuke, and I'm definitely thinking Sonic was the one who did it." - Little Mac.

Dedede decided to respond to him with a laugh. "Bwahaha! Seein' your arm get stolen by that snake was hilarious!"

"Not the time..." Wii Fit Trainer grumbled.

"Whatever... it was funny!" He repeated before shutting himself up.

"King Dedede doesn't know when to quit sometimes. Papyrus may not show much dread over his rude remarks, but I still find it disgusting that he'd respond to it with laughter and mockery. It'll definitely persuade me to vote for him if he carries on doing so, because I don't think a pompous King like him deserves the victory if he treats others like dirt. All of that upper-class treatment probably distorted the guy..." - Wii Fit Trainer.

Sonic sighed. "Yeah, I miss Josuke too. That's just how it is, though. If you win this, Papyrus, then that means every single person talking to you will probably be eliminated themselves, meaning that it's unavoidable. The best thing to do is to not let any of that stuff get to you!"

"YOU'RE RIGHT, AND I SHALL NOT LET IT DRAG DOWN MY PERFORMANCE, JUST LIKE HOW I REFUSED TO LET YOUR ELIMINATION DRAG DOWN MY PERFORMANCE!" Papyrus posed. "FOR I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"

"Well that was easy," the hedgehog muttered to the other three, watching the skeleton cheer for himself in the distance.

Wii Fit Trainer applauded. "That's great! It's a very good mindset to have."

"Luckily I don't care for much of y'all here, so if you get eliminated, I either laugh or just don't care!" Dedede admitted. "What's the darn point if I'll never see you guys again, anyway?"

Little Mac folded his arms. "Well, you're naturally kind to strangers, right? So by that logic, you should be kind to us, even if you'll never see us again."

"But I'm not kind to strangers?!" He retaliated. "You make too many assumptions, boxer-boy."

"I'm not that surprised..." He groaned.

As Papyrus' small problem had optimistic closure, the other group had a more pessimistic vibe among one another.

"Third fish in the past, what, two hours?" Captain Falcon yawned. "These guys aren't as common as they were last time..."

"Maybe you-a cleared this whole area of them when you-a fished with Samus a few days ago?" Mario suggested.

"No. This is a different area compared to last time, and even if we were in the same area, more fish would have moved in." Samus explained. "There's just a large lack of fish today. Maybe we should just head back."

As she turned around to walk off, Reigen put his hand on her shoulder abruptly

"H-hey, wait a minute! You can't just leave me to be the only one who hasn't caught a fish yet!" He exclaimed.

As his hand collided with her shoulder, she flicked her arm back and struck him in the face, causing him to cry in shock.

Reigen slammed into the sand below as Samus turned back, looking at the unintentional damage.

"Apologies," she said, offering her hand to help him up. "I've been trained to do things like that out of instinct. Don't touch me when my back's turned, or ever..."

"R-right," he obliged, rubbing his sore nose. "Do you have to go hard?"

"If you're an enemy or an alien, then I go as hard as I can." Samus grabbed him and helped him to his feet. "It's just how I was trained."

"Sounds like you need to relax a little bit..." He rubbed his chin, gazing towards the potential customer. "Maybe there's a spirit bogging up your body and your mind! Here's where the "Spirits and Such Consultation Office" comes into play!"

Captain Falcon rolled his eyes. "Oh boy..."

Mario raised his eyebrow, curious.

"There's a lot of-a ghost talk in this show. First Josuke has-a weird spirit he can control, then we had to-a go to a haunted mansion and meet Professor of-a all people to vacuum boos just-a like my younger bro Luigi, now Reigen is apparently some sort of-a spirit cleanser? That's-a interesting, but I feel like I shouldn't-a trust his word too much." - Mario.

The "Psychic" cleared his throat before beginning. "I have the skills required to cleanse that spirit! Perhaps you could come by after the competition to get it checked out? There are different offers and deals that I'm willing to give you, and I don't haggle too mu-"

"Nice try, cheapskate." Samus denied, walking away.

Reigen was left blank before he piped back up. "H-hey wait, at least stick around until I get my own fish!"

As a silent response, she chucked her spear at him, disappearing into the trees.

"The sun IS starting to set, but-a good luck!" Mario patted him on the back before leaving.

Captain Falcon held his spear out. "Are you good at dual-wielding?"

"...No, I'll just stick with this one." Reigen awkwardly responded.

The racer nodded as he walked off, his spear still in his hand. "Well, good luck then!"

He called out, "I won't need luck! I bet I'll get more fish than all of you combined!"

Captain Falcon didn't respond and simply walked into the forest, secretly grinning at the ridiculous comment he made. Over three fish before they ate sounded ridiculous to him, which was why he made no comment.

Reigen was the only one left at the beach, and he bitterly turned to the sea, clenching his spear tightly, in an attempt to find some fish for the rest of the tribe.

"I was close to winning her over, and I saw it in her eyes! Maybe my delivery was off, but I bet I would have made a lot more money if she just said yes and made me look like less of a fraud on global television..." - Arataka Reigen.

When the three that had decided to give up on hunting fish returned to the camp, they dumped their pot, half-full of fish, next to the others.

"That doesn't look like a lot," admitted Wii Fit Trainer.

Dedede eyed it, and he definitely didn't look pleased at all. He didn't common on the amount, but his disappointed and furious glare told the three that the loot wholly consisting of small-medium fish.

"Maybe it could still feed all nine of us!" Sonic optimistically guessed.

"I-a feel like food rationing will get a lot easier once there's only five or-a so of us left. That means we can-a use more of the rice and-a beans for each of us, and we-a even have the bonus of having to catch less fish to make everyone somewhat satisfied. It's-a days before it'll be like-a that, sadly." - Mario.

"Reigen's still out trying to hunt for one more, so if we succeed, that'll be four fish between the nine of us." Samus stared at the fish, then at her teammates, then back at the fish. "If anyone here is willing to not have any fish today, then we can split one fish between two people.

"I ain't missin' out!" Dedede exclaimed.

Little Mac shook his head. "Protein is crucial for a guy like me! I've already lost some muscle thanks to eating nothing but small portions of rice and beans

Papyrus rubbed his jaw. "AHEM... YOU'RE FORGETTING SOMETHING, SPACE-GIRL!"

"It's Samus, but go on..." She glared towards him due to the nickname.

"A SKELETON LIKE ME DOESN'T HAVE TO EAT! WHICH MEANS THAT, IF REIGEN GETS THIS FOURTH FISH, YOU CAN JUST SPLIT IT BETWEEN YOURSELVES AND I'LL HAVE NONE OF IT! THAT'S HOW IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, BECAUSE A SKELETON EATING IS LIKE A HUMAN CHECKING IF ALL OF THEIR BONES ARE ON PROPERLY; IT'S POINTLESS!" He explained.

Samus nodded, feeling slightly idiotic for forgetting that he doesn't eat. "Right, sorry, I forgot about that. We just have to rely on Reige-"

Her comment was abruptly ended by the gasps of others around her, causing her to turn her head towards the direction that the other survivors were facing.

Reigen stood there, a smug look plastered on his proud face, two dead, fresh fish were in the grasp of his left hand, whilst three fish were in his right hand; he had five fish in total, bringing the absolute total of the tribe's stock to eight.

"Well, you relied on me!" He stated, shoving the fish into the pot. "And look what happened, we now got one fish per person here... aside from Papyrus, of course."

"Good job," praised Samus. "Now we just need to cook them."

"LEAVE IT TO ME!" Bellowed Papyrus.

Sonic groaned. "Alright, just don't burn it."

"I NEVER BURN FISH?" He looked completely confused at the remark.

"You do..." Little Mac quietly retaliated, dreading the thought.

Despite their fears, Papyrus put his heart and soul into the dish, checking that it wasn't burnt to a crisp, whilst also making sure that the rice and beans were cooked perfectly. In the end, the rice and beans tasted good, but the fish had a slightly rubbery texture to them like it was undercooked, but the survivors didn't find it too distracting...

* * *

**Roulette: Night 23**

"So... any reason as to why Roulette was so late today?" Wii Fit Trainer asked. "It's nearly midnight!"

Alexa stepped forward shamefully, and it was worth noting that he was no longer wearing his tuxedo. "Yeah, sorry about that. The thing is that I like to set up my challenges in advance, so the challenge AFTER the next one is really bogging me up with paperwork. It's pretty difficult to set up."

"And you're fine with being off-schedule and admitting that to live television?" Sonic queried.

...

"Anyway... let's not stay up too late arguing with me!" He folded his arms. "In front of you are nine boxes labeled from A to I, what's in them are completely unknown, and we will go by the order on the leaderboard as usual. So, without further ado, let's start with Samus Aran!"

Samus Aran chose Box C.

Captain Falcon chose Box A.

Arataka Reigen chose Box I.

Sonic chose Box H.

Wii Fit Trainer chose Box E.

Little Mac chose Box G.

Mario chose Box B.

King Dedede chose Box F.

And finally, Papyrus chose Box D.

Alexa then proceeded to give the survivors the cue to open their boxes:

Samus Aran - -25

Captain Falcon - 10

Arataka Reigen - 0

Sonic - 25

Wii Fit Trainer - 25% Multiplier

Little Mac - -10

Mario - 5% Multiplier

King Dedede - 35% Multiplier

Papyrus - 0

"Those are some big gains and losses! Let's add these to your totals... oh, and now that there's nine of you left, only four people can be in Safe Haven at a time, as opposed to five!" Alexa warned before adding the applying the points to their total.

* * *

***SAFE HAVEN***

SONIC - 178

WII FIT TRAINER - 176

SAMUS ARAN - 175

CAPTAIN FALCON - 173

***DANGER ZONE***

ARATAKA REIGEN - 155

KING DEDEDE - 139

MARIO - 137

LITTLE MAC - 124

PAPYRUS - 99

* * *

"I'M STILL NOT AT ONE-HUNDRED POINTS?!" Papyrus gawked. "WHAT DID I EVER DO TO DESERVE SUCH A FATE..."

"Well I got kicked out of the Safe Haven... can I be safe for more than five minutes?" Reigen pouted. "There's always next challenge, at least."

"Hey! I now have the most points!" Sonic cheered for himself. "That's awesome!"

Wii Fit Trainer cheered too. "That's great! Not to mention that I'm not too far behind, only by a couple of points"

"And I'm only five points behind myself. We're all pretty close together, aren't we?" Captain Falcon observed.

Dedede, however, scoffed. "I'm up a few places, but I ain't gonna rest until I'm in that darn Safe Haven!"

"I don't think I've been in the Safe Haven for... well I don't even know for how long! Was I even in there?" Little Mac began questioning himself.

"Still in the same place..." Mario sighed. "It's-a scary being in danger."

"Ya think?" Added Dedede.

"I'm beginning to slip with my points by a little bit. Now I'm no longer the one with the most points, but instead, I'm third. If I lose this next challenge and drop out of Safe Haven, then everyone will take advantage of my curse and will vote me off easily. I can't let that happen, because I have a large chance of being eliminated even without the curse." - Samus Aran.

Alexa then continued. "Alright Laau Haupa, it's time for you guys to get back to your tribe! Sleep tight, because tomorrow's going to be a pretty wild day!"

The survivors nodded before leaving the area, returning to their tribe...

* * *

**Challenge: Day 24**

The nine survivors drifted out onto the beach, the boat was back as usual, and Alexa was standing next to it, knee-deep in the ocean's water.

"Welcome survivors." He gave a small salute before shooting them a friendly grin. "After today's challenge, you would have done a dozen challenges! It's pretty difficult for any of you to pick a favorite, especially since all of them demand a lot of physical or mental effort from you all and are EXHAUSTING! However, I feel like this next challenge definitely won't be considered as any of your favorites, not even your top three... or your top five..."

"I don't like the sound of that," admitted Reigen. "What's the next challenge all about?"

"YEAH! I'D MUCH PREFER IF YOU EXPLAINED IT NOW INSTEAD OF RIGHT BEFORE WE DID IT. I MAY BE A SKELETON, BUT I STILL NEED MENTAL PREPARATION, AND I IMAGINE THESE HUMANS REQUIRE SOME TOO," Papyrus assumed.

Alexa folded his arms, cupping and rubbing his chin with his long fingers. "Good point, but the next challenge will barely take any explaining! I'll give you a hint, however: it requires a lot of memory and patience."

"Doesn't sound like a physically demanding challenge, which is always a good thing," said Samus.

Dedede shook his head violently. "No it ain't! Physical, mental, it doesn't matter what it is, because that smug host over there is supposin' to us that none of us will enjoy this challenge at all!"

"Well, we'll have to suck it up, because I'm not going to give up, no matter what Alexa gives to us." Little Mac pointed to his chest with fiery determination in his face. "No matter what!"

"I appreciate the enthusiasm, Mac." Alexa clasped his hands together. "You'll all need that attitude if you want to win this next challenge. Enough hyping it up, however, let's go visit the location on our old faithful boat!"

The antsy host beckoned the contestants onto the boat before jumping in himself, and after five minutes of basking in the sunshine on the coast of the island, the boat set sail to the unknown destination.

"We've visited a haunted mansion where we were attacked by boos, and underwater where we were attacked by a shark! The fact that Alexa is highlighting how awful this next challenge will be is giving me some chills, and I never get chills..." - Captain Falcon.

After around ten minutes of driving, some of the survivors had an idea to get their energy up by attempting to have a small nap. Wii Fit Trainer, Little Mac, King Dedede, and Reigen were the ones who attempted to do so, but only Wii Fit Trainer and King Dedede succeeded in doing so.

Fifty more minutes passed, and the two successful nappers were quickly shot awake by a massive bump that caused them to jump out of their seats.

"AAAAAAAGGGH!" Dedede screeched at the top of his lungs, wrapping his arms around Sonic out of fear. "WHAT'S HAPPENIN'?!"

In response, Sonic's eyes widened as he was being choked by his petrified tribe mate. "Gah!" He yelped.

"Nothing, just a little bump!" Alexa called out from afar. "Hopefully the ship's alright..."

The royal penguin quickly let go of Sonic as a result, wiping the fearful beads of sweat from his forehead. "Well ain't that a relief!"

"You're right, you letting go of me IS relief..." The hedgehog sarcastically added.

"I wasn't talkin' about you, ya little blue rat," Dedede spat, before turning his head towards where the boat was traveling to.

A large, navy blue cave entrance was coming up close, its size and darkness inside were incredibly intimidating, and Alexa wasn't kidding when he said that the next challenge would be a not-so-pleasant experience.

When the boat crudely parked up, Alexa jumped out. "Survivors, out of the boat! This next challenge is about to begin."

"We aren't going in-a there, right? Please tell me we aren't going in there!" Mario stood back. "Who-a knows what's in there?!"

"Come on, you've been in worse, surely?" Samus queried.

Mario nodded. "Well, yeah, I-a have, but I-a just have a bad feeling about this-a place."

"Well it's okay because this challenge is all about finding the exit!" Alexa butted in. "You will all be thrown inside this giant labyrinth of a cave, and you'll be tasked with exploring this maze-like area until you find the exit! The first one to escape will receive a whopping one-hundred and seventy-five points, the second to escape will receive one-hundred and forty points, then the third to escape will receive one-hundred and twenty points, fourth will win one-hundred, fifth will receive eighty, all the way down to the last one to escape the labyrinth, who will receive no points whatsoever!"

Little Mac gulped, but his face quickly turned back into one of resolution. "Well, it's a pretty scary cave, but no scarier than that mansion we were at! I'll just power through it and find the exit as soon as I can."

"Well, get ready then," Alexa smirked. "Because this challenge is about to begin! Before that, however, there's ONE last twist..."

"Twist?" Reigen raised an eyebrow. "It better be a good one."

The host nodded. "You're in luck, it's a pretty great twist! The first one to escape the cave and find the exit will be rewarded with the opportunity to make ONE vulnerable contestant immune for tonight's Tribal Council. This is known as the Friendship Twist."

"SOUNDS EXTRAORDINARILY USEFUL, SIR ALEXA!" Papyrus then proceeded to pose. "THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL SURELY BE THE ONE TO SNAG THAT PRIZE, AS WELL AS THOSE POINTS!"

"Let's see about that!" Alexa then pointed to the cave. "Survivors, please line up!"

All of them proceeded to form one neat row, all of them were eager to get in that cave an escape as quickly as possible, not only for the prizes at stake, but also to get out of the eerie setting altogether.

Alexa began counting down...

"3..."

"2..."

"1... GO!"

As he yelled, all of them ran into the cave, disappearing from sight due to the darkness.

From inside the cave, a few dim torches guided them along as they ventured deep underground, the rocky walls and ceiling quickly turned damp, as the whole cave system was underwater at this point.

Underneath their feet was sand, with some jagged rocks sticking out of the floor alongside it. They could hear nothing but the quiet ambiance of the cave, collaborating with their heavy breathing to form a truly mysterious and somewhat creepy environment. There was almost a beauty to it, but at the same time, they had to keep on their toes if they wanted to find this exit.

After venturing deep enough, the cave split into five branching tunnels:

The one on the far left was small and cramped, though just large enough to fit most of the survivors through it. It looked to be the brightest pathway, though its claustrophobic appearance turned many of the survivors away from it. However, Little Mac and Papyrus decided to venture through it, with Papyrus up ahead.

To the right of that was its parallel, a giant wide cave with a smooth and unjagged floor. On the other hand, it was also the darkest pathway, having no torches lighting it up. King Dedede decided to go down it due to its size, though he was the only one to do so.

The cave on the far right was nothing special, just a standard dimly lit cave with a sharp turn to the right, its harmless nature caused Arataka Reigen and Captain Falcon to walk down it.

To the left of the rightmost path was slightly more narrow than the second path, though it was still rather large. It was also lit decently well, but the worst part about the pathway was how the floor wasn't sand or rock, but instead the murky waters of the ocean. Samus and Sonic decided to down this path, theorizing that the most unpleasant path would also be the most beneficial to escape the cave.

Finally, the center cave was a medium-sized pathway that was almost as dark as the leftmost cave, and to accompany it were large jagged pillars of rock. Alongside these pillars were small droplets of water coming in from the ceiling, which struck the rocky floor of the pathway, forming tiny puddles of water. Mario and Wii Fit Trainer decided to explore the path.

"C'mon Papyrus, hurry up! I can't exactly move past you if the cave is this narrow..." Little Mac groaned.

"APOLOGIES, I'M JUST WATCHING MY STEP," he justified, turning around a corner. "OH, IT'S MORE SPACIOUS HERE!"

"Huh?" The boxer replied before he felt relief, this part of the cave was nice and spacious.

However, at the end of this section were six pathways, all of which were standard tunnels with nothing too out of the ordinary.

"HMMM... SIX PATHWAYS?" Papyrus rubbed his bony jaw. "WELL, TIME TO USE SOME OF MY INCREDIBLE LOGIC TO FIND THIS EXIT!"

He pointed to the rightmost tunnel.

"Why that one?" Little Mac asked. "It's the same as all of the other ones."

"BECAUSE... WHAT SIDE IS IT ON?" Papyrus retaliated with another question.

"...The right side?" He replied. "I don't see what you're getting at."

He began walking down the tunnel, briskly. "WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS, RIGHT IS RIGHT, SO FOLLOW ME!"

"I get the pun, but is that really the best way to decide where to go?" Little Mac scratched his head with confusion. "Plus, you didn't use that logic for the first set of branching pathways we went through."

Papyrus was then stumped, Little Mac was completely right, why didn't he use that logic back then? Embarrassed, the skeleton gave a shrug to his friend and continued venturing down the path, with him following behind.

"Going with Papyrus to find the exit would be a good bet. If one of us finds the exit, then we're both aware. The only problem is that he doesn't have much genuine thought with picking where to go, but I guess there isn't much strategy to it anyway. Beats being alone in this place, though I wish he was a little faster with his pace." - Little Mac.

Meanwhile, King Dedede was strolling down the wide tunnel.

"Man, this place is fit for a king! Size-wise, of course, because I wouldn't live in this shabby rock even if I was given a five-course meal," he said to himself, traveling deeper down the tunnel. "It'd have to be a seven-course at least!" He continued.

Eventually, he found a large, bright torch in the center of the tunnel, with a sign underneath it.

Dedede leaned down and read the sign:

"You may grab and use this torch to easily explore the darker parts of the cave."

He smirked as he grabbed it and raised it up with accomplishment. "Heck yeah!"

As he did so, the bright light revealed a large horde of bats hanging on the ceiling, causing Dedede's eyes to almost pop out with shock. "B-BATS?!"

In retaliation to the sudden exposure, the horde of bats flew down and crashed into Dedede several times before flying off down the cave.

The bat's assault almost caused him to lose grip of the torch, but luckily he survived it, albeit with a couple of dirty marks on his robes.

"Those darn bats messed up my robe even more?! Oh, they'll be gettin' smashed against the rocks when I see 'em again." Dedede gave a scowl, his mood now soured by the incident.

During this incident, Captain Falcon and Wii Fit Trainer were wandering down the center path, maneuvering around the tight spaces due to the rocks.

Eventually, they found two pathways, one lead straight down, whilst the other lead straight up, and required decent parkour skills in order to reach the top.

"Sorry Wii Fit, but I-a know that freedom is up that path." Mario pointed to the top, showing her the faint white light. "See that? That's-a daylight!"

"Hmm, it doesn't look like daylight at all..." She admitted. "Looks sorta artificial."

However, the plumber wasn't listening, and he wanted to be the first one out of the cave. In retaliation, she decided to take a gamble and venture downwards through the second path.

Mario hopped up the rocks, even skipping some of it by wall-jumping up the narrow vertical tunnel, he could taste freedom, and he was already sick of the place after around fifteen to twenty minutes of being stuck inside, not that he was keeping proper track.

When he reached the top, he walked down another tunnel, the source of the light was getting stronger and stronger.

By the time he reached it, his jaw dropped with surprise, but not the good kind of surprise...

A bright lantern, beaming its white light, was present, and since it was surrounded by the cave walls, he had come to a dead end.

"Mama mia... I should-a have listened to her..." He grunted. "Hopefully that path doesn't lead to daylight either, but I better follow her to-a find out!"

Mario hopped down from the path, retracing his steps and jumping into the downwards path, taking caution in case he injured himself from falling down the decently large distance.

"How-a long is this tunnel?!" He whined to himself, scraping his gloves against the sharp rocks. "Good thing I'm-a wearing thick gloves."

Suddenly, the tunnel slowly took a change in direction. Instead of leading downwards, it was now sloped and leading upwards.

When Mario gazed up the tunnel, he saw a bright white light, that HAD to be daylight, right?!

He quickly scrambled up the narrow pathway, determined to get out of the cave system, and as he neared the light more and more, he got more and more confident that it was daylight.

Upon reaching the light, he escaped the pathway and ended up at a small beach, several exits to the cave were present, and he saw Alexa alongside Wii Fit Trainer and Sonic standing there.

"Well done Mario!" Alexa applauded. "You made it out of the cave third, so you'll be receiving one-hundred and twenty points, ain't that nice?"

"It-a sure is!" He grinned. "That should-a hopefully be enough to be safe!"

"Good thing you didn't listen to me," Wii Fit Trainer smiled teasingly. "I'm just glad that I'm out of there. This really was a nightmare of a challenge..."

Sonic laid back, relaxing in the sun. "I knew going through the worst path would pay off, and it did! I just sped through those gross waters and eventually, I made it out before anyone else."

As the three were celebrating their freedom, Samus was traveling through the murky waters of the cave, trying to go fast, but the fact that the water went up to above her thighs made it a lot more difficult, she couldn't sprint across the water like Sonic could, either.

"I'm almost out. I've been here for about twenty-five minutes..." She had been keeping track of the time whilst she was venturing through the cave.

Eventually, she came to a sharp left-turn, and she then saw the blinding daylight at the end of the tunnel, alongside the three contestants that made it out first.

"Great, I hope being fourth place is enough," lamented Samus, before proceeding to speed out of the tunnel, reaching Alexa.

"Well done Samus! You're the fourth one to escape these caves," applauded Alexa. "That's one-hundred points for you!"

The bounty hunter gave a small smile of relief as she sat down, awaiting the remaining five survivors who were still within the cave.

It was now thirty minutes since they had entered the cave, and even though it was a short amount of time, they were all exhausted from traveling around, scrambling for the exit to this maze-like cave.

"This is a long path..." Reigen yawned. "I'm all on my own too, after that bird-jock decided to split up from me and go down another pathway. My psychic abilities predict that I will find that exit before him, and I'll get a decent score out of this challenge, too!"

Right after he said that he entered a large cavern with five incredibly steep stone steps leading to another tunnel, but that tunnel was bright with light, causing his eyes to shoot open with surprise.

"I-is that the exit?!" He asked himself. "Well there's no time for me to stand there, I'm not staying in this grimy cave any longer."

Reigen hooked his hand onto the edge of the first pillar and sprung upwards, pulling himself onto the step and moving back to his feet. He then repeated the same thing for the next step, then the next one.

By the time he hooked his hands onto the next one, he heard the oncoming noise of footsteps and immediately snapped his neck to the right, where the noise was coming from.

A small tunnel next to the one he came from appeared to be the origin of the sound, causing his eyes to widen.

He began pulling himself up quicker, his arms ached in response, as they were already beginning to become tired from the first three steps he had climbed, but Reigen was not to give up just yet.

Captain Falcon soon appeared from the tunnel, his eyes locked onto the exit then Reigen, and he began running to the first step.

As the racer approached, he made one majestic leap and jumped right over and on to the first step of the five. By now, Reigen had just cleared the fourth.

He then proceeded to jump up the second step, landing haphazardly on the rock as he momentarily lost his balance. Fortunately for him, he quickly regained said balance and jumped up the second step, then the third and fourth step. He finally jumped up the fifth step, Reigen running ahead.

The businessman could see the exit, right before he reached the daylight...

Captain Falcon attempted to shoot past, causing him to instinctively slam his hand against him in an attempt to knock him back and stall him.

However, he powered through the hit, and continued dashing past, with Reigen attempting to latch onto him in one last effort to trip him over, but ultimately failing. Ironically, the whole squabble caused him to fall instead, making him helplessly watch as Captain Falcon ran over to Alexa alongside the first four who escaped the caves.

Scrambling to his knees and then his feet, he quickly followed Captain Falcon.

"Captain Falcon and Arataka Reigen finished fifth and sixth! Meaning that 'Cap gets eighty points, whilst Reigen only gets sixty! There are three more still confined within these creepy caverns, and it's honestly quite impressive how most of you got out so quickly," admitted Alexa. "Annoyingly fast..." he added under his breath.

Back in the first pathway, Papyrus and Little Mac looked to be lost.

"DAMN IT!" Yelled the boxer, punching the wall with anger. "This is the third time we ended up back here! Do you even know where you're going?!"

"I-I'M SORRY, I'M TRYING MY BEST. THESE CAVES ARE QUITE DIFFICULT TO TRACK! EVERY SPIRALLING PATHWAY IS ALMOST THE SAME, WE'RE PROBABLY THE LAST ONES IN THIS CAVE..." Papyrus pouted, sitting down and giving up.

...

"Don't sit down, we gotta keep going, I know we can make it out of this place..." Little Mac said, his tone still hiding a lot of stress, though it was decently reassuring for Papyrus. "We can't be the last ones, either! It's only been forty minutes. Maybe we won't be first, but we won't be last, I know that much."

"CORRECT! NOW, LET'S FIND THAT EXIT!" He suddenly sprung up, full of a newfound determination to escape the cave. "I LIVE IN ONE, SO I SHOULD KNOW ALL ABOUT THIS CAVE... AND IN MY CAVE, THE EXITS HAVE THIS GLOWING WHITE AURA AROUND THEM LEADING TO THE OUTSIDE."

Little Mac scratched his cheek using his boxing gloves. "You mean light?"

"OBVIOUSLY! NOW, LET'S GO FIND THIS EXIT!" Papyrus ran off into one of the pathways they hadn't visited yet. "THIS WAY, LITTLE MAC!"

As they were filled with more motivation, King Dedede was still by himself, holding his torch and lighting up the darker sections of the cave.

"Where's that darn exit... it's not like I even need this stupid torch, it's just makin' my arm sore." Dedede grumbled.

Coincidentally, as he finished complaining, he began to see the light at the end of the tunnel, literally.

He gave a gasp of joy and surprise as he began laughing maniacally, dropping the torch and screaming "FREEDOM!"

As he saw the exit to the cave, he saw Little Mac and Papyrus come from a random tunnel in the side. The duo quickly noticed the charging king and attempted to escape the cave for themselves first.

"OH NO YA DON'T!" Dedede charged faster and faster, Papyrus lagging behind Little Mac and towards his demise.

Eventually, he jumped forward and slashed at the skeleton in an attempt to knock him over. As he did so, Papyrus flew forward and crashed against the floor of the cave, scrambling forwards as Dedede dashed past.

"YOU MAY HAVE BESTED ME, BUT CAN YOU BEST MY ATTACK?!" Papyrus gave a small, proud, and forced chuckle before throwing one of his bones towards Dedede.

Before the penguin could reach the sunlight, he tripped on the bone, slamming into the ground.

"Nice one!" Little Mac cheered, already out of the tunnel, ranking seventh.

Before the penguin could heave himself back up, Papyrus zoomed past him.

"WOWIE! I BEAT HIM!" He looked back. "SORRY, KING, BUT THIS WAS A VERY IMPORTANT THING TO WIN, AND JUST LIKE THAT, LITTLE MAC AND THE GREAT PAPYRUS SCORE OUR VICTORY!"

"Papyrus escapes in eighth place, meaning that he receives twenty points!" Announced Alexa, causing the Papyrus to sigh in disappointment.

He turned to Little Mac, who looked disappointed himself. "WE TOOK TOO LONG, DIDN'T WE?"

"Yep..."

Dedede then ran out, looking at everybody else. "What?! I'm darn last?! I was only in there for about forty to fifty minutes!"

"DEDEDE FINISHES THE CHALLENGE AT NINTH PLACE, THE CHALLENGE IS FINALLY OVER!" Alexa declared.

"Y'know I was expecting a lot worse," Wii Fit Trainer admitted. "You hyped it up to be the worst thing ever."

"Well I thought you'd be in there for a lot longer, seems like now that you've weeded out the weaker ones, I'm left with some of the more skilled survivors! Even last place took much less than an hour to complete this challenge, and that's impressive!" Alexa admitted. "Anyway, now that Dedede's out and thus receives no points, it's time to tell you all the scores and who ranked where!"

Alexa proceeded to reveal the rankings and scores:

* * *

Sonic - 1st Place - 175 Points

Wii Fit Trainer - 2nd Place - 140 Points

Mario - 3rd Place - 120 Points

Samus Aran - 4th Place - 100 Points

Captain Falcon - 5th Place - 80 Points

Arataka Reigen - 6th Place - 60 Points

Little Mac - 7th Place - 40 Points

Papyrus - 8th Place - 20 Points

King Dedede - 9th Place - 0 Points

* * *

"...And let's add them onto your total points!" He continued:

* * *

***SAFE HAVEN***

SONIC - 353

WII FIT TRAINER - 316

SAMUS ARAN - 275

MARIO - 257

***DANGER ZONE***

CAPTAIN FALCON - 253

ARATAKA REIGEN - 215

LITTLE MAC - 164

KING DEDEDE - 139

PAPYRUS - 119

* * *

"Damn it, I fell out of the Safe Haven." Captain Falcon bit his lip intensely. "If only I got out of there a little bit sooner."

"Phew, I'm still safe, luckily I never showed vulnerability once during this curse," Samus congratulated herself. "Now I just need to keep safe until I'm at the final part of this game, it's too late to lose now."

"STILL LAST PLACE?!" Papyrus cried. "HMM, BUT I DID BREAK ONE-HUNDRED POINTS, SO I SHOULD ALSO BE CELEBRATING TOO!"

Reigen shook his head. "I don't think you should be celebrating..."

"Hang on, survivors!" Alexa stopped them. "Don't be upset about your vulnerability just yet. Remember the Friendship Twist? Sonic finished first, meaning that he can make one of the five in the Danger Zone immune for tonight's council. Sonic, do you have a choice yet?"

He shrugged. "Well, I don't really know. I guess I'll have to hear them all out."

Little Mac was surprised to hear that from him considering that he used to be on an alliance with him and Papyrus, but decided to fight for the immunity regardless.

"Sonic, you know me! We were good friends and I bet we still are, I'm one of the strongest competitors here as well! Is that not a factor?" He asked with a nervous undertone.

The hedgehog nodded in response. "It does play a factor, but I'm not sure if I would want a "strong" competitor escaping from Tribal Council."

In retaliation, the boxer froze and made a small cry of horror as Sonic all but rejected his reasoning. He proceeded to hang his head down, bleeding with defeat.

"Obviously he wouldn't pick a pipsqueak good-for-nothing like you or that bonehead! He'd give the royal treatment to the ROYAL person," Dedede smirked smugly. "Now c'mon Sonic, I know you're itching to give me that immunity!"

"Err... I don't think so," replied Sonic, his face deadpan. "You're sorta... how do I put this... full of yourself?"

"FULL OF MA'SELF?!" He queried. "ME? The HANDSOME King of Dreamland, and the future winner of this show, is apparently full of himself?"

"Sounds like it," he nodded.

...

Dedede turned away childishly, not looking at Sonic. "What a fool..."

That leaves Captain Falcon, Papyrus, and Arataka Reigen.

"Hmm..." The hedgehog spun his finger around. "Which one..."

Eventually, his finger stopped spinning, and he pointed over towards Arataka Reigen, as precise and as quick as a dart. "You!"

"Wha?! Why me?" Reigen interrogated, confused. "I don't think we've interacted much, if ever!"

"Not to mention I was secretly the reason why he got eliminated back then..." - Arataka Reigen.

Sonic shrugged. "I dunno, you seem like a down-to-earth and chill person. I feel like we all got bigger fish to fry in terms of elimination out of the five, anyway."

"Fair logic! I'll take it!" Reigen jumped into the air, brimming with the complacent joy of being spared.

Alexa nodded with approval. "Very well, Reigen is now immune for tonight's Tribal Council! Now let's get back to the island, the boat should be here very shortly."

* * *

**Laau Haupa: Day 24**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Wii Fit Trainer - King Dedede - Captain Falcon - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen - Sonic

When the survivors eventually made it back to their tribe, dusk was approaching, and they decided to handle the upcoming Tribal Council by forming into one group, huddled around the fire after eating their meals.

"Well then, this is going to be one of THOSE councils, isn't it? Where everything gets made awkward by our suggestions of who goes home." Reigen gazed at everyone. "Especially considering that nobody's bothering to pipe up yet. I guess considering that I'm safe, I'll be the one to sacrifice my reputation by recommending somebody."

They all perked their ears up as he stood up, pointing to Little Mac.

"I feel like you should be going home," he explained. "You're a massive threat to everyone here with that alliance of yours. Josuke may be gone, but we have to break up that remaining alliance between you and Papyrus. Even two people joining arms can be threatening."

"Wh-wha?!" Little Mac shook his head. "Come on! This is too sudden for me to even understand! Since when were people planning on voting me out? First I got one vote last council and now this?!"

"Pssh, I agree!" Dedede bellowed in response. "That boxer kid is nothin' but trouble, though I feel like we should discuss votin' off Papyrus too!"

Just like Little Mac had done, Papyrus proceeded to shake his head frantically. "NO! THERE'S NO ALLIANCE... JUST A FRIENDSHIP!"

"That's a lie," said Samus. "I've heard you claim it several times, and in some challenges, including this last one, you're always in one pack together. To think that you're not in an alliance would be stupid."

Papyrus then choked on his words, unable to properly speak due to being caught red-handed.

Captain Falcon watched as the duo was cornered by the others, and he came to a dilemma in his head. He could either vote Little Mac, betraying him after the boxer had saved him from Squidward and Reigen, or he could vote for Papyrus. It seemed like neither of those options seem right, so he decided to go for the risky alternative.

"I feel like both of those choices aren't right," he said. "Not even close to being right! I think neither of them poses a big enough threat to eliminate them right now."

"Then who do you think should go home?" Samus interrogated.

The racer pointed to King Dedede. "Him, as he's nothing but a jerk."

"I ain't a jerk! I just can't handle y'all sometimes, and that "sometimes" is every darn minute." The king folded his arms. "I get that you have some sorta bias towards that trashy jock, but there's no way that you're gonna convince everyone to vote for a king like me!"

Wii Fit Trainer shook her head, denying that fact. "Sorry Dedede but he's right, you are really disrespectful to others! Maybe in this game people just have to bite their lip and deal with the annoying ones, but I just don't like how you treat everyone else."

"Agreed!" Mario frowned. "Why can't you-a be a bit nicer?"

"Because I don't need to be nice to win this darn competition!" He spat, noticing the amount of people that were beginning to turn against him. "Gettin' rid of those who don't treat you perfectly ain't gonna work out for y'all when Little Mac and Papyrus continue their alliance! Little Mac alone is pretty threatenin', so I say vote him if ya got any morsels of brain left."

"For once Dedede shows a good argument," Reigen sighed. "But that's my reasoning, too. It doesn't matter too much if someone here's an insufferable arrogant jerk. What's more important, especially with only nine people left, is that you get rid of the people that threaten your chance of winning!"

Wii Fit Trainer argued against that logic. "But would you be comfortable if he snuck his way to the end just because that there are some people that can win? EVERYONE IS A THREAT!" She declared, aggravation building in her voice. "You're a threat, I'm a threat, everyone here threatens our chances of winning! You're a threat to Little Mac and Papyrus, Reigen. Would you be fine if, out of all of us threats, the one that treated everyone like trash got that victory? Everyone here forgets that it's not about making sure you win, but also having those you would be fine with winning take your place if you failed in getting that prize!"

Silence struck the tribe, her words were incredibly strong, and her point was easy-to-digest for all of the survivors.

"That... makes a lot of sense." Reigen proceeded to shift his focus to the floor, twiddling his thumbs and avoiding eye-contact. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right.

Mario clapped slowly. "That's-a very good way of-a putting it!"

Captain Falcon gave a thumbs up to her, showing his incredible approval towards her.

"I was going to try my best and get Little Mac safe just to show some more gratitude, but this Wii Fit chick just did the work for me! Hopefully, it would have persuaded enough people to vote for Dedede, and I'm getting some SERIOUS Deja Vu of my second night on this island." - Captain Falcon.

"Y-YEAH. I KNOW SOME OF YOU HERE AREN'T FOND OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS, BUT I'VE TRIED MY BEST TO SUPPORT THIS TRIBE EVEN THROUGH THIS COMPETITION! I MAKE FOOD FOR EVERYONE EVERY TIME, AND IF IT DOESN'T TASTE GOOD THEN I TRY TO GET BETTER. THE SAME SHALL APPLY TO LITTLE MAC TOO!" Papyrus smiled.

Dedede shook his head. "Well that ain't the right mindset! You should be all for playing for yourself, and for NOBODY else, otherwise, y'all are weaker than a Waddle Dee!"

"There are some people that deserve victory more than others. Johnny was somebody that I'm glad didn't win, and I was offended to see his face in the merge alongside me and the others. For the first time, I think I'm truly stuck on who to vote on, whether that be Little Mac or King Dedede. Papyrus is annoying but I don't think he's a threat or is as grating as King Dedede." Samus explained.

"Now this is just an excuse for you guys to throw insults at me?! Pssh, and you act like I'm the bad guy..." Tutted Dedede. "Vote for Little Mac!"

Sonic shook his head. "I think that Little Mac and Papyrus both have a threatening partnership, but hey, I'm fine with it if it means getting rid of Dedede."

"OH, I GET IT NOW. THAT PESKY HEDGEHOG BACKSTABBED US AFTER ALL WE HAD TOGETHER! THAT EXPLAINS HOW THE VOTES DIDN'T ADD UP! HE MUST HAVE VOTED JOSUKE ALL ALONG, AND THAT'S SOMETHING I'LL HAVE TROUBLE FORGIVING HIM FOR." - Papyrus.

Dedede groaned. "Is anyone here gonna vote for Little Mac?! C'mon Samus, you owe me, I've voted alongside you once with Gordon, so do the same for me!"

"I don't owe you anything," she harshly replied.

"The typical last-ditch effort to get someone on his side convinced me to join the others in voting for him..." - Samus Aran.

The penguin was beginning to get nervous, seeing so many people gang up against him. Though, the king couldn't help but have an underlying hope that he'd be freed from tonight's council.

"Well... let's just see what happens tonight, shall we?" He shot a nervous smile.

"Yeah, let's-a go!" Mario jumped out of his seat. "It should be time to-a head on down there anyway!"

The other survivors stood up and walked down to Tribal Council, all of them having a clear idea of who they wanted gone tonight.

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 24**

The torches of the council were as dimly lit as usual, and the survivors made their way through the entrance pathway and into the main section of the area, where they saw Alexa.

Without making a sound, they sat on their benches, awaiting the jury members to enter.

First came Gordon Ramsay, then came Johnny Bravo, and finally, the most recent member of jury: Josuke Higashikata, entered and sat on the bench.

They all exchanged their greetings with the other survivors, Josuke being especially friendly to the others, and also specifically greeting Papyrus and Little Mac.

After sitting down on the jury benches, Alexa turned his focus to the survivors.

"Hello survivors, and welcome to the twelfth Tribal Council of the show!" He applauded. "Papyrus, have you gotten used to attending these at this point?"

"I LIKE TO THINK SO! IT'S STILL AS SCARY AS IT WAS BEFORE, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY NOT AS DREADFUL AS IT WAS BACK ON THE FOURTH DAY, OR THE EIGHTH DAY, OR ANY OTHER DAYS AFTER THAT WHEN I WAS FORCED TO COME HERE." He explained.

"The dread factor definitely goes down once you get accustomed to it. Do you feel the same, Reigen?" He asked.

The "Psychic" nodded. "Yeah, I don't even find it scary anymore. Even if I'm up for elimination, I just get on with it. It's like when you nearly get involved in a car crash so many times that you aren't as traumatized or as scared if it ever happens to you."

"That doesn't sound very healthy..." Remarked Wii Fit Trainer.

"Mario!" Alexa started. "Yesterday you were in the Danger Zone, but now you've BARELY scraped into the Safe Haven. How do these close-call style immunities make you feel?"

Mario gave a little friendly grin as he scratched his cheek. "It makes me-a feel good that I'm immune! Though, it's not as-a good as being immune by a long shot since it'll take a lot of losing to become vulnerable again. Even still, I-a love being immune no matter by how much!"

"Good mindset to have, Mario," he admired. "And for the final standard question, I'd like to ask Little Mac over how he feels with his placement. You showed a lot of determination before the challenge, Mac."

"Well obviously I'm disappointed in myself. I could have gotten out there much sooner and I would have been safe, I'm not too scared over tonight's council considering the discussion that was held, but it's always nice to have more points for the future." Little Mac answered.

Alexa continued, "and what happened in terms of discussion that gave you relief?"

"Well, I don't wanna sound cocky, but I feel like everyone here has one target in mind..." Little Mac hinted, though Dedede could clearly see what he was getting at, growling as a result.

The host gave a slow nod before continuing. "Okay survivors, you may cast your votes!"

One by one, the survivors stood up to vote...

Little Mac: What Wii Fit Trainer said is right, it's not just about if I win, it's also about who wins in case I don't. And as far as I'm concerned, I don't think people want Dedede on here any longer! (King Dedede)

King Dedede: Pssh, me going home? It's possible, but I ain't gonna scream and wail if it happens, though I feel like these chumps will realize how important I am and how deservin' of a victory I am last second. (Little Mac)

Papyrus: YOU'RE A KING, AND I HAVE LOTS OF RESPECT FOR ROYALTY. HOWEVER, I CAN'T LET YOU TARNISH MY ALLIANCE ANY FURTHER, AND THAT'S WHY I HAVE TO ELIMINATE YOU! (King Dedede)

Wii Fit Trainer: I don't hold anything against King Dedede but... I just think he needs to go home, and maybe try again another day. Maybe then he'll be nice enough to deserve that victory! I know he can do it, especially with that strength of his...

"Survivors, before I read out the votes, will any of you like to play an idol?" Alexa questioned.

...

...

...

"Great! Let's get this vote started then, shall we?" He cleared his throat. "Survivors, I shall now read out the votes!"

***VOTING TIME***

First vote goes to King Dedede, one vote King Dedede.

Second vote goes to Little Mac, one vote Little Mac and one vote King Dedede. (King Dedede takes a deep breath.)

Third vote goes to King Dedede, two votes King Dedede, one vote Little Mac.

Fourth vote goes to King Dedede, three votes King Dedede, one vote Little Mac. ("C'mon..." Dedede mumbles.)

Fifth vote goes to King Dedede, that's four votes King Dedede, one vote Little Mac.

Sixth vote goes to King Dedede, five votes King Dedede, with one vote for Little Mac. (Dedede admits defeat, inhaling sharply with disappointment.)

Seventh vote goes to King Dedede, that's SIX votes King Dedede, one vote Little Mac.

Eighth vote goes to King Dedede, seven votes King Dedede, and one vote Little Mac.

"You all know who's eliminated, but the fourth jury member at an uneven 8-1 vote is King Dedede!" Announced Alexa. "Your time is up, sire, now hand me your torch."

"Fine, catch!" He stood up and tossed the torch to Alexa, making him catch it cautiously.

Alexa snuffed out the torch, solidifying his elimination.

He then said, "King Dedede, your time is up! Please leave Survivor Crossover. Though before you do, is there anything you would like to see to your fellow tribemates?"

"I guess one thing, and that's that y'all made a grave mistake votin' me out! Though I got a lil' more dignity in my body to not beg for a second chance, that's the type of stuff I wish I got to see more since it was darn hilarious! Anyway, I'm out." He turned away and slowly walked off down the path, leaving the eight survivors.

Alexa applauded. "Final eight! Do you guys feel good about yourselves yet? There's only forty percent of you left compared to when we first began, and that says a LOT. Though, let me just tell you this now, since I think you've all gone long enough without knowing."

The survivors raised their eyebrows as the host began explaining some more.

"I've left you all in the dark over what happens after a certain point. The finale to the show will truly begin at five survivors left, what happens from then on is a complete mystery, though more power to those who theorize. That means three more of you will be eliminated before this "finale" begins, and trust me, you won't be as safe there as you are now..." Alexa left them on his self-made cliffhanger. "Now, go back to your tribe and get a good sleep! As for Dedede... he was a rowdy yet strong contender, the fact that he got THIS far was rather surprising to me, though I bet if he worked on being a lil' nicer then he could come back as a TRUE threat. Night survivors..."

The remaining eight survivors proceeded to leave Tribal Council, with the three jury members leaving shortly after...

* * *

King Dedede's last words: "When I get back to Dreamland after this whole show blows over, I'm-a take a huge nap and have a nice meal prepared for me by ma' servants. Then after that, I'll resume my usual royal routine!"

* * *

**VOTES**

King Dedede's voters: Little Mac, Wii Fit Trainer, Arataka Reigen, Mario, Samus Aran, Sonic, Papyrus, Captain Falcon.

Little Mac's voters: King Dedede.

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Wario. (USED)

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon. (USED)

Idol of Mirroring - Wii Fit Trainer.

Idol of Curses - Samus. (USED - CURSE HAS WORN OFF)

The Revival Idol - Mario. (USED)

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

Laau Haupa (Yellow Team)

\- Mario

\- Papyrus

\- Samus Aran

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Captain Falcon

\- Little Mac

\- Arataka Reigen

\- Sonic


	17. Episode 13 - Wild Wild West!

Episode 13 - Wild Wild West!

**Laau Haupa: Day 25**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Wii Fit Trainer - Captain Falcon - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen - Sonic

In the sky stood the bright sun, overhead all the entire Tropics that the survivors had been living in for nearly a month. From that sun came light, which beautifully traveled down onto the main island and its surroundings, the wind preventing the intensity of the sun from becoming too bothersome.

A small group consisting of Samus, Little Mac, and Papyrus was sent off to catch as many fish as possible. The rest of the tribe were relaxing on this particularly lazy day.

Captain Falcon knelt forward, staring at the leaderboards, still not used to how it was crudely placed in the middle of all of this natural landscape.

He stared at the screen, the only technology he had seen up close in ages, and it felt bizarre to look at it all.

The names of Gordon Ramsay, Johnny Bravo, Josuke Higashikata, and King Dedede were taken off the board as they were eliminated. Captain Falcon shortly went over each of these fallen comrades one by one in his head, shortly before getting his moment of peace cut off by Wii Fit Trainer, who proceeded to sit next to him.

"Hello, Falcon," she greeted, staring at the leaderboards herself for some time before continuing. "Crazy to think how there's only eight of us left, I know it's been said so many times, but it's hard to believe that there were twenty of us at one point. I sorta miss a lot of them, like Gordon, Josuke, and Geoffrey. I bet you miss Johnny a lot, too."

He shrugged, giving a small smile. "Well, I'm not going to say he didn't deserve it, but yeah, it's a bummer that he left."

"As much as it sucks that some of the cooler dudes got the elimination, I'm glad everyone left at this point consists of the calmest ones, barring people like Papyrus, and even he is occasionally enjoyable to be around from time to time!" - Captain Falcon.

"I'm surprised he made it so far!" Wii Fit Trainer giggled before pointing to Captain Falcon's name. "You're just barely in danger, thanks to Mario."

Her finger proceeded to slide upwards along the screen, towards where Mario's name was.

"Just four points away!" She exclaimed, tapping on the plumber's name to hammer in her point.

Captain Falcon groaned. "Yeah, I know, but hopefully I'm not a target to anyone right now. Some people's views change way too quickly!"

"I know right?" Wii Fit Trainer agreed.

The racer then proceeded to rub his chin. "Say, if you're willing to answer... do you have any targets right now?"

"M-me?" She queried, not expecting the sudden shift in focus. "Well... I don't know."

"There has to be SOMEONE that you think is a priority to get rid of, for one reason or the other. It was originally Dedede, right?" Captain Falcon rolled his eyes. "I don't blame you at all for considering him to be your target. Though, there has to be someone else right?"

Wii Fit Trainer rubbed her arm. "Well, if I'm honest, I don't really think too far into it. Probably a bad mindset to have in a game like this..."

"Not a bad mindset, it shows that you're a pretty friendly person!" Captain Falcon then decided to get to the point. "I was just wondering because I want to give you a little deal."

"A deal? No, you aren't having my idol no matter what you throw at me!" She angrily assumed.

He shook his head. "No, not that. I was thinking that considering that alliances are very strong when there aren't that many people left, me and you could form one and get to the end together! You're an athletic, likable person, so as long as nobody knows about this alliance, you probably won't get eliminated for a while, especially if you got someone like me to help back you up."

"An alliance..." She pondered the idea to herself.

"Being in an alliance is a huge risk! Not only do you have to act incredibly smart to make people unsuspicious of your alliance, but you also have to trust them in that they won't double-cross you later in the show! I trust Captain Falcon enough, however, and I don't think he'll be the person to blindside me, either." - Wii Fit Trainer.

...

Eventually, she stuck her hand out, offering a handshake. "Okay, I'll accept it! Since you asked me about targets, I bet you have your own target, right?"

"Yep, and it'll be a little difficult for us to convince enough people to do it but... Sonic is a threat, and I feel like he can easily win this game," Captain Falcon stared at the hedgehog from afar, who was lounging in the sunlight. "His speed, strength, likeability, game sense, it's all too much for us to even stand a chance!"

Wii Fit Trainer then remembered the time she teamed up with Sonic to blindside Josuke many days ago, feeling bad that she'd have to eliminate her old partner. "Well, you have a good point. Though, we can't vote for him right now! He has too many points, and he'll only get more."

"That's where my plan comes in," he said. "The plan involves sabotaging his games until he crosses the threshold and becomes vulnerable to elimination, then we get enough people on our side and vote him out. The only problem then would be finding a couple of people who would be motivated to eliminate Sonic..."

The fitness trainer then snapped her fingers. "I know who! Papyrus and Little Mac have probably put two and two together and realized that Sonic is no longer in their alliance, mostly because I convinced him to vote out Josuke that night, and also because he showed a little bit of meanness towards them when deciding on who to make immune in yesterday's challenge."

Captain Falcon squinted his eye with disbelief. "You convinced him to vote Josuke off? Damn, you're really able to eliminate who you want, huh?"

"A little bit," she gave a small chuckle before moving on. "Anyway, if we could get those two on our side, then we would just have to make sure the other four don't all vote one person, then it'll be a tie."

"Don't worry, things will work out great for us! If things go south, remember that you still have that idol," he reminded, before beginning to walk off. "I'm going to go for a little walk around the island now, let's not interact too much in case anyone thinks we're in an alliance."

Wii Fit Trainer gave one final nod as he disappeared into the trees, sitting back down and staring at the leaderboards some more.

As their alliance was formed, Sonic, Reigen, and Mario were by the two main huts of the tribe, all passing small-talk as the day easily went by.

"When are they going to be back? It's been a good couple of hours." Sonic groaned. "Not like I'm going to enjoy this meal, anyway. I've never really been a fan of seafood, or anything that involves the ocean."

"I could easily see that the ocean challenge scared you a lot, Sonic," observed Reigen. "Why are you so scared of the ocean?"

"Well first of all, it's just water in general," he corrected. "Second of all, do you know how difficult it is to become dry after going underwater? Maybe it's easy for you guys, but I got a lot of fur on my body. Not to mention that running out of breath underwater is not cool at all. Almost every adventure I go on involves me going underwater, and those are usually the worst part of my adventures, even worse than going through Eggman's big intimidating deathtrap facilities or whatever. I bet Mario can relate, right?"

Unexpectedly, the plumber shook his head. "I-a feel like going through the dangerous castles that-a Bowser throws at me is way worse than going underwater. I sometimes find the water parts of my-a journey to be the most relaxing!"

"Relaxing?!" Sonic's jaw dropped.

"Yes, relaxing!" Mario repeated. "Sometimes I can-a just sit back and take in my surroundings, the scenery can-a really be quite amazing!"

The hedgehog stood up, his arms crossed. "And when you start to run out of breath?"

"I don't really run out of-a breath," revealed Mario. "Well, sometimes I-a do."

"Wait so you SOMETIMES run out of breath?!" Reigen gawked at the situation. "Both of you guys are very odd..."

The plumber scratched the back of his neck, pulling an overly-friendly and slightly nervous smile. "Well, don't-a worry about it!"

"Okay..." He accepted.

From that point, an awkward silence loomed over the three, as they proceeded to twiddle their thumbs with minimal talking for around ten minutes.

Papyrus, Little Mac and Samus all arrived back, causing the sum of the team, barring Captain Falcon, to come together.

"ATTENTION, TEAM!" Papyrus yelled at the top of his lungs. "FOOD HAS ARRIVED!"

"No needed to yell, nobody is far away from you," Sonic remarked, rubbing his ears in mild pain. "Anyway, how many fish did you catch!"

Samus dropped the pot down in front of them, sixteen fish were present.

"MAMA MIA!" Mario stared blankly at the fish before his expression quickly turned optimistic. "That's a lot of-a fish! Two each for us all! Well, aside from-a Papyrus..."

"Some decently big fish too! We already got ten within a couple of hours, so we decided to get to fourteen before heading back, which also didn't take too long." Little Mac described their day.

"WELL, TIME TO COOK-" Papyrus was interrupted by a hand being placed on his shoulder. "HMM?"

He turned around to see Samus, her eyes cold, and told him exactly what she was going to say without even opening her mouth, or at least, that would have been the impression Papyrus would have received if he wasn't too ignorant to notice it.

"Throughout the last few meals we've had, you haven't cooked the fish properly," she revealed. "The rice and beans are fine, but I'll be taking over for the fish."

"B-BUT THAT'S MY FAVOURITE PART!" The skeleton proclaimed, sadness bleeding into his words.

Regardless, Samus shook her head. "My favorite part of the day is eating fish that doesn't taste like charcoal, so I'm going to be cooking the fish whether you like it or not."

"...ALRIGHT SAMUS, YOU MAY COOK THE FISH INSTEAD," he said, admitting defeat.

"Some others may see me as cruel for doing what I did, but it's a good price to pay for ensuring that I, as well as everyone else who has to eat, can eat a proper meal. If that hurts his feelings then that's not my problem." - Samus Aran.

Before she began cooking, Reigen stopped her and looked around. "Do any of you guys know where Captain Falcon went off to?"

"I-a saw you with him, Wii Fit," Mario pointed. "Do you know?"

Wii Fit Trainer raised her shoulders, perplexed. "Beats me. We didn't make much conversation, but he stood up and told me that he was going to take a walk. That's all I know."

"SOMEBODY GO GRAB HIM! I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HUMANS, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY DISLIKE COLD FOOD, EXCEPT FOR WHEN IT'S ICE CREAM OR MOST CHEESES. HUMANS ARE RATHER PICKY..." Papyrus groaned under his breath.

Little Mac denied the command, sitting down. "I'm not doing it. Standing around in the ocean all day waiting for fish to appear has tired me out."

"Typical boxers, skipping leg day..." Sonic teased. "I'll go get him, I'm the fastest here!"

Little Mac stood up. "H-hey, don't go saying that my legs aren't stro-" Before he could argue any further, Sonic had already disappeared, a trail of dust right in front of him. Little Mac bit his lip slightly before sitting back down.

Sonic first dashed out onto the coastline, circling the island within seconds. No sign of Captain Falcon was anywhere.

He then went into the forest, where he took a slightly slower approach in order to make sure that he didn't accidentally crash into any trees.

Eventually, he saw a silhouette moving through the forest, causing the speedy hedgehog to pick up his pace and halt right next to him.

Captain Falcon jumped back in shock, before quickly looking confused. "What's up? What'd you find me for?"

"Well Cap, it looks like the team brought back more than enough fish for all of us." He explained. "You should probably get back."

"Really? Pssh, a guy like me can't even have a cool ten minutes to recollect this crazy competition," he looked aggravated, but more towards the fact that he had to head back if he wanted warm food and not at Sonic. "I'll head back."

"What were you thinking about?" Sonic asked, looking curious.

He shrugged. "Stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Stuff," the racer repeated. "Just the old members of the tribe and the challenges we've been put through. It must suck for people like King Dedede, who got so far yet aren't going to have any prize whatsoever. Unless the jury counts as a 'prize'."

Sonic nodded. "Well, he gets a bit of fame and accomplishment from it, I hope. I know I felt a bit proud for getting as far as I did, even if it wasn't TOO far. I mean hey, I got to the Tribe Shuffle! Good thing I've been granted a second chance because I can win this if I put my mind to it."

As the hedgehog cheered for himself, Captain Falcon was secretly grinning in his head. Maybe Sonic was one-hundred points away from the Danger Zone, but he and Wii Fit Trainer will eventually cause him to falter. It's not a matter of "if" to him, but "when"...

They made it back to the tribe, and settled down, awaiting their meal...

* * *

**Roulette: Day 25**

Today's Roulette would be the fifth Roulette of the merge. Survivors still questioned why it was necessary for them to come to these, especially with how luck was an unfair aspect of the game to most of them. They weren't too bothered, but almost all of them would prefer if they didn't have to do them, as the risk could be too high.

"Hello, survivors! Welcome to your next Roulette," Alexa greeted with a standard wave. "Today's Roulette will be quite a bothersome one. Half of these boxes, listed from A to H, will consist of negative points! Doesn't sound too bad, right? Well, some of these boxes can severely injure your total if you're unlucky enough to get them. As well as this, the other four boxes will contain positive points, but only a small amount. It's less of a question on who gets the most points, but who gets the least? That will be the focal point of this Roulette!"

"Sheesh, each day sounds rougher than the last," Sonic rested his head on his hand. "Can we get a break from all of this with something that isn't a bummer?"

Alexa pulled a slightly offended face, denying his request. "Nope! You should know full well by now that Survivor will become more of a challenge the closer you all get to that prize. Therefore, things will probably not get much easier for you guys. Not to mention the finale's only after one... two... THREE more eliminations, so just keep persevering through what I throw at you, otherwise, you won't get what you've worked hard to achieve."

"Yes boss," he sarcastically replied.

The host nodded as he began the Roulette. "Survivors! In the order of whoever has the most points, to whoever has the least amount of points, you may begin choosing your boxes."

Sonic, the first one to select the box, decided to choose Box A.

Wii Fit Trainer chose Box C.

Samus Aran chose Box F.

Mario chose Box G.

Captain Falcon chose Box E.

Arataka Reigen chose Box B.

Little Mac chose Box D.

And finally, Papyrus chose Box H.

Alexa then proceeded to give the survivors the cue to open their boxes:

Sonic - -20

Wii Fit Trainer - 10

Samus Aran - -40

Mario - -50

Captain Falcon - 20

Arataka Reigen - 5

Little Mac - -30

Papyrus - 35

"WOWIE!" Papyrus beamed. "THIRTY-FIVE POINTS GOES TO ME? WHY THANK YOU, LUCK!"

"Damn it! Thanks to that stupid Roulette, my score's even lower than it was before. I bet I'm even worse than Papyrus now, which means that I'm what, the one with the worst score out of anyone else? Papyrus and I are going to be eliminated if we don't step up our game... all thanks to this lousy luck-based mechanic that Alexa just HAD to shove in!" - Little Mac.

Samus scoffed, trying not to look too disgruntled over her result, but it was hard not to when a lot of what you worked for had been taken away with the blink of an eye.

Mario was even more bitter, though he tried to remain more positive over the situation. He knows that he can easily climb back up with effort, and that put him off of sulking over his score.

"Five is nothing," Reigen admitted. "Buuuut, with the number of people above me who are losing points, I may just move up by default, and that's always a good thing. I knew I'd get a good score, anyway."

"YOU KNEW ALL ALONG? YOU MUST BE SOME SORT OF PSYCHIC OR SOMETHING!" Papyrus rubbed his bony jawline.

He smirked. "Well, coincidentally..."

Little Mac cut him off before he could continue speaking. "Don't listen to him, Papyrus. It's all a sham."

"Sham?" Reigen spat slightly before shaking his head, a grin forming on his face. "It's not a sham!"

Wii Fit Trainer interrupted the incoming conflict. "Whatever it is, let's just not talk about it right now!"

"Some big losses from most of the top-scorers! Now, let's add that onto your totals," Alexa said, before spending the next few minutes doing the math and adding their points on:

* * *

*SAFE HAVEN*

SONIC - 333

WII FIT TRAINER - 326

CAPTAIN FALCON - 273

SAMUS ARAN - 235

*DANGER ZONE*

ARATAKA REIGEN - 220

MARIO - 207

PAPYRUS - 154

LITTLE MAC - 134

* * *

"Yep, I'm last..." Little Mac growled.

"Still first, alright!" Sonic cheered.

Alexa applauded. "Well done to those who have earned points! Or just to those who managed to stay in the Safe Haven! Your next challenge is tomorrow, obviously, and I'll see you then. You may now head back to your tribes, survivors!"

The survivors walked off from the beach and back to their tribes...

* * *

**Challenge: Day 26**

The survivors lined up along the beach, waiting for Alexa to bring them onto the boat for their fourth out-of-island challenge.

And as they expected, Alexa showed up, though his attire was different.

He was wearing a Western-themed outfit. This outfit consisted of a Cowboy hat, a brown poncho that was brandished along his back, almost as if he was wearing it like a cape, underneath that was a light brown Cowboy button-up shirt. To go with it all, murky black pants were worn, and on his feet lay two polished maroon Cowboy boots with shiny spurs wrapped around them. Although he was in yet another ridiculous outfit, he did go all out on looking like a legitimate Westerner. He was even holding a revolver, though likely fake or at least unloaded.

"Oh give me a break..." Samus hid her face in her hands, feeling second-hand embarrassment from looking at him.

"Welcome to the fifth challenge in the Merge, survivors!" Alexa waved his gun around. "My outfit should give you a hint to what it'll be like!"

"So, a dumb challenge?" Reigen asked.

He then growled. "Hey, knock it off with the insults towards my costumes! First the tuxedo and now this? How boring..."

"I wonder where we're going to go this time!" Wii Fit Trainer questioned. "Maybe a Wild West-themed island?"

Alexa winked. "Who knows. Allow me to lead you onto the boat, as usual, and let's explore one of the most bizarre islands of the Tropics, coined by confused geographers as 'W.W. Island', which is short for 'Wild West Island'."

"So what you're saying is, in the middle of the tropics, we're going to be going to a Western-themed island?" Sonic queried, unbelievably stumped with confusion.

"I wasn't kidding when I said those geographers were confused when they discovered the place only a few miles from some tropical islands," he shrugged. "Anyway, onto the boat!"

The survivors proceeded to enter the boat, and it quickly took off to go to this so-called "Wild West Island".

After twenty minutes of twiddling their thumbs, Mario was the first one to spot the island in the distance.

"Hey, there's the island!" He pointed, tapping the shoulders of the people next to him.

They peered into the salty ocean, and in the middle of it was a small island, with no trees on it whatsoever. The only green on the island came from the spiky cacti that were mainly scattered along the coastline of the island, leaving the center to be eerily barren of life. Whilst it wasn't as pretty as the tropical island they lived in, or even on the haunted island after it was cleared of fog, its existence defying nature gave it a different brand of beauty.

"This region of Earth is weird," Little Mac remarked, letting what he was gazing at justify his comment on the Tropics.

The boat soon parked next to the island as Alexa walked up to the survivors, which were uncomfortably resting on the seats of the boat.

"Alright fellas, it's time to get off! We've arrived on the island." He clapped to wake up the few survivors who were attempting to sleep.

Alexa was the first one out, and he was the first to stand on the island before anyone else on the boat could. For some reason, he had a weird fascination with the island.

He grabbed a handful of the rough, gritty sands, similar to the sand you would find in a rocky desert, and slowly let the sand pour out of his hand. "Beautiful... just take a look at this sand, perfect conditions for the cacti!"

Like a child trapped in bewilderment, he ran over to a tall cactus that was a few meters away from him.

After taking a look at it and even pricking his finger on it, he rubbed his stubble. "This thing is a saguaro cactus. It can grow over forty feet tall, though this particular one is a little shorter than that. I'd say around thirty-six feet?"

Alexa's eye then caught another cactus next to it, a much shorter and fatter one.

"Oh, and this one's a barrel cactus, very common in some areas," he said. "I've tried this type of cactus before, it has a taste similar to that of a cucumber!"

"YOU CAN EAT THOSE THINGS? I'VE ONLY SEEN IT IN THOSE COOL COWBOY MOVIES, AND THEY SEEM TOO PRICKLY FOR A HUMAN TO EAT!" Papyrus walked up to it and poked it. "O-OUCH!"

The host chuckled under his breath. "No no no, you gotta peel off that defensive layer before you can eat it. This cactus is too fat for me to properly chop up and eat anyway, but if you ever get your hands on a slimmer one, you chop off the top and bottom, carve away that skin, and you're left with a nice watery flesh. It's great. Each cactus has its own unique flavor too!"

"Watching Alexa get fascinated over these plants is not what I expected to see for today's challenge, but at least I'm learning a thing or two about what I can eat if I ever got stuck in a desert with nothing around me but cacti. Not like there's any deserts in Japan, but you never know." - Arataka Reigen.

Alexa wrung his hands. "Oh I'm so happy that I managed to come here! I rarely get to see cacti, so when I do, I'm all over them! But wait, I'm getting distracted from this challenge that I'm supposed to be assigning you guys."

He gave a wave over to some staff as he properly faced the survivors. "Today's challenge will be all about reaction times and aim, doesn't that ring a bell to you, especially to those who have watched Western movies or shows?"

"Yeah, it's-a just like a Quick Draw!" Mario answered.

"Ding ding ding!" Smiled Alexa. "Today's challenge is going to be a Quick Draw bracket tournament! In a game of Quick Draw or Fast Draw. Two gunslingers will have their backs turned against each other, standing in the white circles visible on the island's ground. When I give the cue to fire by yelling 'DRAW!', then both gunslingers will spin around and will try to shoot each other. Whoever hits the other person will be that round's winner and will advance to the next bracket! If both miss, it will be seen as a tie, and they will have to do it again and again until one of them wins."

"Seems simple enough, I've seen enough Western movies to know," Wii Fit Trainer nodded with understanding.

He then continued. "Considering it's a bracket tournament, there will be four one-on-one duels between the eight of you for the first round. The winners from those four rounds will proceed to the semi-finals and receive seventy-five points and will have two one-on-one duels between each other. The two winners from the semi-finals will receive an extra one-hundred points on top of the first award, and there will be one final duel between those two winners. Whoever succeeds in that round will win the whole tournament, and will receive one-hundred and twenty-five points on top of the other two awards."

Alexa then began putting people into their pairs to fight each other in. "In order to find out who duels who, we'll go by the trusty alphabetical order:"

* * *

**ROUND 1**

Arataka Reigen

Vs

Captain Falcon

Little Mac

Vs

Mario

Papyrus

Vs

Samus Aran

Sonic

Vs

Wii Fit Trainer

* * *

"Yes!" Wii Fit Trainer cheered under her breath. "I won't let Sonic get any points!"

Alexa proceeded to start the challenge. "The first duel will be between Arataka Reigen and Captain Falcon! You'll be given your drawing pistols shortly, and don't worry, they don't kill or injure..."

**MATCH 1 - ARATAKA REIGEN VS CAPTAIN FALCON**

The two duelists received their pistols and proceeded to walk away from one another.

After reaching the circles, they stopped and turned to each other.

"The easiest way to beat someone in a duel is to play mind-tricks on them," Reigen smirked.

"Raw accuracy and speed is the key to this challenge, mind-tricks don't do anything!" Denied Captain Falcon.

Not responding, Reigen just kept his smug grin as Alexa explained the rules.

"You two may turn around now! If you turn around or shoot your gun before I say 'Draw!', then you will be disqualified from the challenge." He elucidated the rules. "You are also not allowed to say 'Draw!' for yourself. Now, let's quiet down, shall we?"

The silence officially began, leaving the two to nervously clutch at their guns, tucked away in gun belts they were given.

Captain Falcon was ready to spin around and shoot as soon as he heard a peep, and Reigen knew that his way of doing things was very bold and blunt.

...

...

However, before Alexa said draw, Reigen decided to cough loudly, causing Captain Falcon to spin around at the sound.

"W-wait!" He realized his mistake as Alexa grinned at Reigen's smart move.

"Sorry Captain Falcon, but you're out. REIGEN WINS!" He announced.

He froze as Reigen gave him the same smug look he had on him before. "Mind-tricks!" He repeated.

"That's a very lame way of winning," Little Mac said. "Unless that was a genuine cough."

"Didn't sound like-a one," Mario responded.

**MATCH 2 - LITTLE MAC VS MARIO**

Aware that either of them could pull a trick similar to Reigen, they cautiously walked away from one another upon receiving the pistols from the prior two duelists.

All they could hear was the howling wind of the island, as well as the crashing waves nearby. These two sounds inexplicably made the match tenser, and even more so once they stopped walking and stood still.

"May the one with the sharpest aim win!" Little Mac said as an act of sportsmanship.

"I've done Quick Draw with-a corks as a minigame before, so I should have-a more experience than Little Mac," Mario thought to himself, as he turned around.

In response, Little Mac turned around too, properly beginning the match.

Mario knew that Little Mac wouldn't pull any tricks judging by his reaction to Reigen's victory, though he decided to keep some level of caution just in case. Similarly, Little Mac didn't expect Mario to pull any dirty tricks on him, though he had a lot more caution over the possibility.

...

...

...

"DRAW!" Beckoned Alexa.

Both turned around and shot their pistols at the same time, and from the guns ejected a large, soft and nimble, as it rocketed towards the two.

Little Mac's pellet managed to miss the plumber by only a couple of centimeters, and before he could curse himself over missing, Mario's pellet struck him in his left arm, causing him to stammer backward. It was painful, though definitely nowhere near as painful as an actual bullet.

Alexa began applauding for the victor. "MARIO WINS!" He congratulated.

"Fair game..." Little Mac bit his lip and accepted defeat, knowing that he was still going to be in the last place.

"You-a got close!" Mario smiled.

Papyrus grimaced at his partner's unfortunate defeat.

**MATCH 3 - PAPYRUS VS SAMUS ARAN**

Right after Mario's definite win, they received their pistols, reloaded them, and began walking away from each other.

Papyrus cheerfully jogged up until he was standing on the white circle, and mimicking the other two duels in terms of structure, he turned to Samus to wish her good luck.

However, she was already standing on her circle, with her back turned. Intimidating energy radiated from her, an energy so strong it caused even him to shudder over such focus.

"W-WELL, YOU MAY NOT BE FACING ME, BUT MAY THE BEST COWBOY WIN!" Papyrus gave a goofy smile as he spun around, the expression not fading whatsoever.

Samus had undying confidence that she would win this match, she had been gunning down aliens and other monsters in countless planets for as long as she can remember, so she knows that she'll have the aim and reaction time to snuff out Papyrus and his chances of advancing to the next round.

Papyrus also had incredible confidence in himself, though unlike Samus he had no idea of her capabilities or potential of winning, this naivety was a disadvantage on his end.

...

"DRAW!"

With impeccable reaction time, Samus spun around incredibly quickly, whipped out the pistol and took fire, her movements left the others including Alexa in awe, and Papyrus had only turned around by the time she had fired her gun.

Before the skeleton could even take aim, the pellet that had shot out of Samus' pistol struck him square in the symbol on his fake armor chest plate. Causing him to fall back from the shock and strength of the pellet.

He fell to the flaw, speechless, as Samus slid her gun back into her belt, walking to the group of spectators.

"...Wow!" Alexa's eyes were wide. "S-SAMUS WINS!" He stuttered.

She nodded at the announcement as the next pair got ready to duel.

"AMAZING AIM, SAMUS!" Papyrus came running over. "YOU MAY HAVE BESTED THE GREAT PAPYRUS, BUT I'M NOW AWARE OF YOUR IMPRESSIVE POWER..."

**MATCH 4 - SONIC VS WII FIT TRAINER**

As they received their guns, they traveled over to the white circles they had to stand in. Sonic dashing over in under a second whilst Wii Fit Trainer walked over in around ten seconds.

The speed of Sonic was without a doubt terrifying to her, even the time it would take for the Blue Blur to spin around and fire his pistol at her would be worryingly fast compared to what she could do. Nonetheless, this would be her best opportunity to sabotage Sonic's chances of winning so he could become vulnerable.

She looked to the hedgehog who was staring directly at her and gave a friendly wave. "Good luck!" She said.

"Let's see if your Yoga has paid off, as if it will matter in this challenge..." Sonic smirked, attempting to rile her up a little bit.

"If she's angry then she probably won't be able to focus that much. I learned that from Knuckles, who despite his incredible strength, sorta fails to pull any of it off because of his short temper." - Sonic.

Wii Fit Trainer placed her hands on her hips. "Are you undermining my fitness capabilities?!"

Sonic didn't respond and instead turned around.

She bitterly turned around herself, as silence struck the area.

...

...

...

"DRAW!"

Grinning, Sonic immediately spun around, reaching for his trusty pistol at the same time.

He swiped his pistol from his belt and raised it towards Wii Fit Trainer, pulling the trigger instantly.

Both pellets fired from the guns flew towards each other.

Wii Fit Trainer's pistol pellet collided with Sonic's torso, causing the hedgehog to stumble back as the fitness trainer gasped.

At the same time, Sonic's pellet managed to strike her in the thigh, almost knocking her off balance.

"Whoa, did any of you guys see who got hit first?" Alexa rhetorically asked. "That was incredible! We'll have to replay that over frame-by-frame if we wanna know who won that match."

He proceeded to repeat the footage with the help of a nearby cameraman, and after observing the results, he walked up to Sonic and Wii Fit Trainer.

"The two of you performed excellently in that match, and you two fired the gun at the EXACT same time," Alexa revealed. "However, due to Wii Fit Trainer holding her gun further out than Sonic, her bullet traveled SLIGHTLY less before hitting Sonic, making her the winner of the match!"

Sonic folded his arms as Wii Fit Trainer cheered. Captain Falcon was not showing any visible excitement, but deep down he was just as happy as his alliance-partner.

"Well survivors, Round 1 is officially over! Next comes Round 2, also known as the Semi-finals!" Alexa announced. "Here's the next bracket:"

* * *

**ROUND 2 - SEMI-FINALS!**

Arataka Reigen

Vs

Mario

Samus Aran

Vs

Wii Fit Trainer

* * *

"Well, if I thought Sonic was going to be tough, then Samus is going to be an entirely different story..." - Wii Fit Trainer.

Alexa then continued. "Reigen, Mario, Samus, and Wii Fit Trainer will also earn seventy-five points each for their victories! The losers, however, will earn nothing."

**SEMI-FINAL MATCH 1 - ARATAKA REIGEN VS MARIO**

The first Semi-final match had officially begun after they collected their necessary equipment, and the two of them backed away from each other until they found their circles.

Reigen took this match to analyze his gun for anything else other than a trigger, and as expected, there was nothing. It was a gun specially designed for Quick Draw from the look of it, due to its impractical nature for actual gunfire and its awkward shape, size, and unnecessary color palette.

He then drew his attention away from the gun as he looked to Mario.

"I'm not going to-a fall for your trick!" Mario warned.

The "Psychic" shook his head with amusement. "Well, I got plenty more tricks, even if my first one won't work on someone like you..."

After the remark, both of them turned around.

...

After only five seconds of steadily waiting, Arataka shot another cough out, causing Mario to flinch, albeit not turn around.

"Damn it! That's my only trick..." He uttered under his breath.

...

...

"DRAW!"

Reigen scrambled for his gun and turned around.

However, due to how he wasn't holding the gun properly, it slipped out of his hands and crashed onto the dusty floor, leaving him defenseless.

"WHAT?!" He cried.

Mario had already taken aim and fired before he could process his opponent's screwup, but when he did, he had a good chuckle before his pellet struck Reigen, knocking him down.

"MARIO WINS THE FIRST SEMI-FINAL MATCH!" Exclaimed Alexa.

"Oh-a yeah!" The plumber cheered once again. "Sorry Reigen, but I knew that was the only trick up-a your sleeve."

Reigen didn't respond, and instead stood up and walked back.

**SEMI-FINAL MATCH 2 - SAMUS VS WII FIT TRAINER**

The two girls equipped what they needed and walked forwards, Wii Fit Trainer didn't bother making any conversation with Samus, as she knew that response was out of the question with her.

Samus had the same focus brewing as before, maybe even more so as she knows to take Wii Fit Trainer, the one who beat Sonic, more seriously than Papyrus.

When they hit the white circles, Wii Fit Trainer made one final gaze towards Samus, who was facing behind and did the same.

Whilst her goal of beating Sonic had been accomplished, she couldn't forget how important it was to rack up as many points as humanly possible to make sure she stays safe. Even with her confidence in not being eliminated for a good while, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Samus, on the other hand, had no goal other than to win the bracket tournament to begin with, much like everyone else aside from her opponent. She bent her fingers to make sure they weren't stiff, ready to reach for the gun on Alexa's call.

...

...

...

...

"DRAW!"

Much like last time, Samus spun around slightly earlier than Wii Fit Trainer and shot at her, which would make a huge difference. All she had to rely on was it hitting.

As Wii Fit Trainer scrambled for her gun and shot it...

*DINK*

The two pellets collided with one another, snuffing their momentum out.

"Well, would you look at that! Those shots were do indirectly precise that you'll have to duel again," admitted Alexa. "Quite impressive from the both of you..."

Wii Fit Trainer analyzed that Samus would have beaten her if it weren't for the miracle shot she had pulled off. She had to dig deep within herself in order to get the reaction time necessary to win.

They both reloaded their pistols and returned to the white circles, Wii Fit Trainer did some deep breathing to make herself fully relaxed, whilst Samus kept the same focus.

...

"DRAW!"

This time, Wii Fit Trainer spun around with her gun perfectly locked in her hand and fired. Unfortunately, despite her improvements, it was still not enough to beat Samus, and she was struck with the pellet.

"WII FIT TRAINER BARELY LOSES, MEANING SAMUS PROCEEDS TO THE FINALS!" Alexa exclaimed, clapping for Samus Aran alongside everyone else.

Wii Fit Trainer sighed with exhaustion, though she was at least happy to beat one person, that's more than what the other half of her tribe did.

"Alright survivors, it looks like Mario and Samus will be receiving a bonus one-hundred points on top of their seventy-five for making it this far, bringing it to a one-hundred and seventy-five total! Let's give you a little look at the Finals bracket, though we all know which two people are on there:"

* * *

**ROUND 3 - FINALS**

Mario

Vs

Samus Aran

* * *

"This final round will be between Mario, the plumber who bested Little Mac in terms of aim, and also gave Reigen and his trickery a walloping! As well as Samus, the bounty hunter who destroyed Papyrus without a second thought, and the one who bested Wii Fit Trainer after two bouts!" Alexa explained. "Let's begin the FINAL DUEL!"

**FINAL MATCH - MARIO VS SAMUS**

Mario grabbed his pistol from Wii Fit Trainer, Samus keeping hers and reloading it, and both of them walked over to the white circles. The day was at the beginning of its end, as the sun was about to start setting, painting an orange hue across the sky.

"May the best gunslinger win!" Mario said though he wasn't surprised when there was a lack of an answer.

The both of them turned around, the arena falling silent for the final time.

It couldn't be helped, but Mario was terrified of being taken out by Samus before he could even point his gun at her. Despite this, he built up enough courage to challenge her to this duel, and his mind was completely set on the points he'd receive.

Samus simply stood still, almost static with her lack of movement.

...

...

...

...

...

"DRAAAAW!" Alexa yelled.

Mario twisted around and reached for his gun, taking aim at Samus befor-

*WHAM*

Before he could even pull the trigger, the gun's pellet hit him square on the nose, causing the plumber to topple over backward, leaving Samus as the sole victor.

"SAMUS ARAN WINS THE WHOLE CHALLENGE!" Alexa announced. "EVERYBODY GIVE A CHEER!"

At his command, everyone including Mario began applauding her, and she slid her gun back into the belt before taking the belt off and handing it to Alexa.

"Due to you defeating Mario, you'll receive ANOTHER one-hundred and twenty-five points on top of your current sum of one-hundred and seventy-five, meaning that YOU will earn a whopping three-hundred points from this whole challenge," Alexa said. "How do you feel?"

"Good."

"That's the only word you utter, eh?" He began laughing to himself. "Anyway, it's time to check out the Leaderboards!"

He proceeded to add the points onto the leaderboards, then he showed the survivors their new scores:

* * *

*SAFE HAVEN*

SAMUS ARAN - 535

WII FIT TRAINER - 401

MARIO - 382

SONIC - 333

*DANGER ZONE*

ARATAKA REIGEN - 295

CAPTAIN FALCON - 273

PAPYRUS - 154

LITTLE MAC - 134

* * *

"I need to play catchup badly," Little Mac gulped.

"And I guess it's now time to head back to the island!" Alexa began yelling. "C'mon, enough cheering and get on that boat!"

As the survivors talked about the challenge on the way back to the boat, Alexa walked up to the two cacti he had lectured the survivors on when he first arrived, pouting.

"Well buds, I'll be going now," he saluted to them before standing up straight and walking off, upset but able to let go of the fact that he'll never come back to the only island in the Tropics that felt like it was made for him.

He climbed onto the boat and it quickly set sail back to the island, the large orange sun shining in the background...

* * *

**Laau Haupa: Day 26**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Wii Fit Trainer - Captain Falcon - Little Mac - Arataka Reigen - Sonic

The survivors had arrived at their tribe an hour ago, the eight of them awaiting the next Tribal Council.

Little Mac and Papyrus were split up and were in the forest, as the others had been talking about who to eliminate.

"WE SHOULD PROBABLY GROUP UP WITH THE OTHERS IF WE WANT TO KNOW WHO'S GOING HOME, I DON'T SEE WHAT WE'RE GETTING OUT OF BEING HERE," commented Papyrus, staring blankly at Little Mac, who was pacing back and forth.

No answer came from the boxer.

The skeleton decided to keep his mouth shut, as he could clearly see visible stress coming from his friend.

...

Eventually, however, he decided to venture off to the others. "WAIT RIGHT HERE, I'LL GO SEE WHO THEY'RE PLANNING ON VOTING! I BET IT'S GOING TO BE THAT REIGEN GUY, THE ONE WHO APPARENTLY LIED TO YO-"

Before he could leave, Little Mac yelled to him. "DON'T!"

"HMM?" Papyrus rubbed his jaw. "WHY NOT?"

"Can't you see that we're going to be targeted?" Little Mac asked. "This show has been nothing but praying that I don't get eliminated ever since people recognized that our alliance was dangerous. Maybe people wouldn't know if YOU DIDN'T DAMN TELL THEM!"

The skeleton froze at the accusation. "I DIDN'T TELL ANYONE!"

"You might as well should have," he mumbled to himself, before pacing back and forth again. "You were vocal about our alliance, you're not even good at challenges either, and you're the reason Josuke's going home!"

Papyrus took a sudden gasp. "I-I WAS?!"

"Like I said, you were too vocal. Now I'M going to get eliminated next because I'm the bigger threat out of the two of us. Why waste a vote on a skeleton that can't even tie his own shoelaces when they can vote off me?!" Little Mac rhetorically asked before slumping his shoulders. "I'm never going to win this game... all of that waiting for nothing..."

"Maybe if I just got eliminated normally I'd be fine, but I've been fighting against elimination for so long that I can't just go now! I need to get to the end and win this show, but that won't happen thanks to Papyrus..." - Little Mac.

Gently, Papyrus placed his hand on Little Mac's shoulder. "I KNOW WE CAN MAKE IT OUT OF THIS ALIVE!"

"Oh, you really think so? Sorry, but that'll never happen," he spat. "Having you on this alliance was a mistake. If I just kept with Josuke and Sonic without you I'd be doing so much better..."

The monster felt his heart when he heard those hurtful words, and the monster slowly raised his hand off of Little Mac's shoulder and backed away. "I-I'M SORRY, I WAS JUST... TOO EXCITED ABOUT THE ALLIANCE THAT I MADE IT VOCAL..."

"You think?" Little Mac leaned against a tree, folding his arms and looking into the sky above. "Maybe I'm going too hard on you, but Survivor is just too stressful. This is nothing like a Boxing Championship, this is much worse."

...

"Papyrus?" He peered over to his friend, and he had disappeared. "Papyrus?! Where'd you go?"

Little Mac stopped leaning and looked around, seeing nothing but trees and small plants. His friend had mysteriously vanished.

Though, after thinking why he would disappear, the mystery was solved, at least in his eyes.

"Was it what I said?" He asked himself, looking around one last time. "It must be, he's probably at the others telling them what I said, and then I'll definitely be eliminated! I need to apologize and quick!"

Little Mac began running to the center of the island, where his tribemates likely were, looking around just to make sure Papyrus wasn't nearby.

Eventually, the forest became the Rockies, and Little Mac saw Papyrus talking to the others.

"WAIT!" He yelled, running up to his tribe.

As the boxer showed up, he began to hear what exactly Papyrus was saying to his tribemates.

"AND THAT IS WHY I AM OFFERING SUCH A NOBLE SACRIFICE," he then turned over to Little Mac. "OH, HELLO LITTLE MAC!"

"Look, I'm sorry for what I said alright?" Little Mac bitterly apologized. "What were you telling these guys?"

Papyrus pointed to the others. "WELL, I THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID, AND I REALLY HAVE LOWERED YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. I DON'T WANT TO LOSE A FRIEND... SO I'M WILLING TO, WELL, SACRIFICE MYSELF FOR THE GREATER GOOD!"

"Sacrifice?" He raised both of his eyebrows. "Don't tell me you're going to get yourself eliminated..."

"ERR, WELL YES?" He admitted, looking confused. "THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED RIGHT?"

"Of course I don't!" Little Mac shook his head. "Look, let me set this straight, you think that me getting angry at you for putting me in this situation means that you should throw away your entire chance of winning? That's not how any of this works! I would love to win this show, and you "sacrificing" yourself will help me get to that point, but I value friendship a lot too. Heck, if I had no chemistry with my coach I wouldn't have become a boxing champion. I wanna win but letting you do that won't sit right with me."

Silence struck, and the six people remained mute as Papyrus responded to him.

"WELL... I MAY HAVE BEEN YOUR FRIEND FOR A WHILE, BUT I FEEL LIKE I UNDERSTAND YOU MORE NOW!" Papyrus smiled. "SCRATCH THAT, LAAU HAUPA, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL NOT GO DOWN SO EASILY!"

...

"Good on you for building a nice, stable friendship!" Reigen applauded. "But, who are we going to vote?"

"Well we can't let a wholesome moment judge our decision, so it will still be either Papyrus or Little Mac," Samus concluded. "I hate to admit it again, but I'm clueless."

"This is the second time where I've been too indecisive on who to vote. I don't think I'm getting attached to these people, it's just that with fewer idiots, it's harder to find a proper target, and that's definitely so when the biggest threats here are currently immune, like now." - Samus Aran.

Mario scratched his head. "I-a don't know either."

"Let's lay it out properly then," Sonic decided. "Papyrus is clumsy and bad at challenges, he makes good meals sometimes and isn't much of a threat at all. Little Mac is more, well, tolerable, but he's better at challenges and that makes him a threat. With Dedede gone, I think focusing on threats is the only thing we can do."

"Does it have to be one of us?!" Little Mac asked. "Look, we can easily disband this alliance!"

"We can't risk you two coming together in the future to vote, so not really," Samus stated. "This was your own fault, your alliance was made loud and clear, and now that it's been found out, we can now dismantle it, which we've done with Josuke."

Sonic nodded. "Why else did I not come back to your alliance?"

"I SEE..." Papyrus sighed. "IT WILL HAVE TO BE ONE OF US, SO WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE FOR TRIBAL COUNCIL."

"That should be in the next ten minutes, so we should be heading down shortly," explained Wii Fit Trainer.

Mario gasped. "This early? I thought we had another hour!"

"The time we have to arrive at Tribal Council decreases by a little bit with each member we lose, did any of you not know that?" She questioned. "Has it just been me who has been keeping track of when to go there?"

"Lately..." Captain Falcon admitted with embarrassment.

She groaned to herself, placing a hand over her face. "How surprising... let's just go down."

As they began walking down to Tribal Council, Captain Falcon and Wii Fit Trainer strategically split up in order to talk to each other about who to eliminate.

"Who are you voting for?" Wii Fit Trainer whispered.

He shrugged, whispering back. "Who knows, I'm just going to vote for Papyrus, I'm going to try and help Little Mac as much as I can. After all, I owe him. I don't think I can help him out of this one, though, there's nothing I can really say about Papyrus that can make him look worse than Little Mac. Let's just hope that the skeleton's grating enough to make the others see the risk of having Little Mac too high."

"I'll vote with you then," she supported.

"Good! Maybe we can bring him to the Final 5 with us if things work out," suggested Captain Falcon. "Though we'll only be losing three more people until then..."

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 26**

Same old same old, many of them thought, stepping into the tribal-themed Tribal Council for the fifth time in a row since the Merge began. The fear factor had never worn off for those who were constantly in danger of elimination, and even those who had been mostly safe throughout most of the Merge were nervous over losing that position.

Slowly, the survivors shifted into the area, finding their usual bench and resting on it, fidgeting with their hands or thinking about who to vote against.

As they did so, the jury poured in: Gordon, the first eliminated; Johnny, the second eliminated; Josuke, the third eliminated; and King Dedede, the most recently eliminated contestant.

"Let's get this party started..." Dedede said under his breath, wringing his gloves. "This is gonna be one amusin' day!"

After the jury entered and sat down on the bench, Alexa soon followed and stood up in the middle of Tribal Council.

"Greetings, survivors! Only eight of you left, soon to be seven, correct?" He asked before moving on immediately. "Today's challenge featured a Quick Draw tournament, how did you feel about your placing, Mario?"

"Well, I-a did well! I won two matches in a row, and that's something only me and-a Samus could do. I knew I wasn't going to-a best her in the final match, but it was-a still fun to give it a shot!" He optimistically answered. "I think you enjoyed the challenge more than anyone else!"

He smiled warmly. "Definitely, studying deserts and their inhabitants, especially cacti, is my own little pastime. I rarely get to see it, so the fact that I saw some in an incredibly rare island is great! Wait, these questions shouldn't be aimed at me, they should be aimed at you guys! Let's move on by asking Little Mac if he's content with being at last place on the Leaderboards."

"In no way am I content with that! I don't think I'll make it out of here alive, but if I do, I'm going to train harder and harder whenever I can so I will be able to beat these challenges and get first!"

Dedede laughed in the background. "Didn't ya fail the last few challenges miserably, boy?"

Alexa then pointed towards him, then calmly placed his finger over his own lips. "Shhhh..." He commanded.

The penguin gazed at him as if he were a madman before rolling his eyes and staring away, no longer planning on interrupting the council.

He then moved on. "I'm glad you aren't letting that get to you! Finally, let's ask this to Wii Fit Trainer, and also Samus: how awesome did it feel to collide your two pellets together? I still can't get over that! I watched it in slow-motion and you could see them squish together before their momentum was completely destroyed. It was awesome!"

"I did feel like some almighty cowgirl pulling that off, though I wish I could have beaten her in my second go," she revealed. "If that wasn't obvious."

"Usually when I pull off an impressive shot it's nothing too special, but I did find her ability to shoot my bullet with hers quite impressive, even if it was on accident." Samus shot a neutral stare at Wii Fit Trainer.

Alexa finally ended the questioning with excitement brimming in his soul. "Alright survivors, it's time to vote!"

Papyrus: WELL, IT'S NOT LIKE OUR VOTES SHALL MATTER, BUT I WILL NOT VOTE FOR MY FRIEND NO MATTER WHAT! I SHALL INSTEAD VOTE FOR THE ONE THAT APPARENTLY TRIED TO MEDDLE WITH HIM. (Arataka Reigen)

Little Mac: I respect Papyrus too much to vote for him, so I'm going to leave my vote for Reigen instead. (Arataka Reigen)

Captain Falcon: Sorry Pap, but I'd prefer to keep my savior than some goofy skeleton around, even if you aren't too lame of a guy. (Papyrus)

Sonic: Just asking for myself, but how unlucky do you have to be to be a big threat and simultaneously the worst scorer in the game? You had no luck with that cave and you definitely had no luck with this Quick Draw either! Looks like I'm going to be putting you of your misery, Mac. (Little Mac)

Mario: I don't know who to-a vote for, they're both very nice people and I know Little Mac is-a the bigger threat, but I-a know him well! Maybe I shouldn't let my bias decide who to-a vote for, but maybe it's-a more than-a bias... (?)

"Survivors, before the votes are read out, would any of you like to use an idol?" He asked, his eyes slowly trailing towards Wii Fit Trainer, who was the only idol-bearer left.

...

...

...

"No? Very well then, I shall now read out the votes!" Alexa announced.

***VOTING TIME***

First vote goes to Little Mac, one vote Little Mac.

Second vote goes to Papyrus, one vote Papyrus and one vote Little Mac.

Third vote goes to Arataka Reigen, one vote Reigen, Papyrus, and Little Mac. (Reigen stares at the two, primarily Little Mac, subconsciously knowing that he would be their target, definitely over Captain Falcon.)

Fourth vote goes to Arataka Reigen, two votes Reigen, one vote Papyrus, and Little Mac.

Fifth vote goes to Little Mac, two votes Little Mac, two votes Reigen and one vote Papyrus.

Sixth vote goes to Little Mac, three votes Little Mac, two votes Reigen and one vote Papyrus. (Little Mac gulps.)

Seventh vote goes to Papyrus, three votes Little Mac, two votes Papyrus and two votes Reigen. (Papyrus also gulps.)

"And the one eliminated from Survivor Crossover is..." Alexa held his tongue. "Will it be a tie or not?"

That extra bit he added brought suspicions onto Little Mac, maybe he would be saved alongside Papyrus with a tie?

...

...

"LITTLE MAC! At 4-2-2 votes, your time is officially up." Alexa signaled him over with his hands. "Bring me your torch!"

Little Mac sighed as he grabbed his torch, bringing it to the host as he painfully watched the bright flame, a flame that had been burning with his same determination for twenty-six days, get snuffed out in an unfortunate turn of events.

"Please leave Survivor Crossover, Little Mac, you did exceptionally well, even if you were at the complete bottom," Alexa said. "You may say share some last words."

"I don't know if I have any... I guess good luck to Papyrus obviously, but also to anyone else," he quickly said before walking off.

However, before he walked off, a hand was placed on his shoulder, similar to earlier in the day.

He turned around, and it was Papyrus, alongside his cocky and bright beam of a smile. "YOU DID WELL, AND YOU MADE FRIENDS, THAT'S A VICTORY GREATER THAN A MILLION MONEYS!"

"You mean dollars?" Reigen corrected.

"Y-YES, DOLLARS," he nodded. "I'M STILL NOT ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT CONFIDENT IN ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT CURRENCY NAMES. ANYWAY, FAREWELL, LITTLE MAC, AND I SHALL SEE YOU AS JURY!"

Little Mac smiled and gave a thumbs-up to his friend. "Win this, Papyrus! I know you can do it."

With a different feeling in him, the boxer moved out of Tribal Council, his elimination set in stone.

"Little Mac had some of the wildest confidence I ever saw in a person, and although he occasionally got quite hot-headed in his journey, his final destination was at LEAST a wholesome one with his only alliance partner. With no visible alliances left, and with only seven contestants, who will make it to the Finale, and WHO will win Survivor Crossover?" Alexa asked. "We'll find out soon enough... g' night survivors..."

* * *

Little Mac's last words: "In a way, I'm glad I don't have to do all this anymore, but I was so close to victory... I wouldn't have let Papyrus gone on with his sacrifice, but I'm still unbelievably bummed that I just missed the mark for entering the Finale, even if it's still a couple of days away."

* * *

**VOTES**

Little Mac's voters: Mario, Samus Aran, Sonic, Arataka Reigen.

Papyrus' voters: Captain Falcon, Wii Fit Trainer.

Arataka Reigen's voters: Little Mac, Papyrus.

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Wario. (USED)

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon. (USED)

Idol of Mirroring - Wii Fit Trainer.

Idol of Curses - Samus. (USED - CURSE HAS WORN OFF)

The Revival Idol - Mario. (USED)

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

Laau Haupa (Yellow Team)

\- Mario

\- Papyrus

\- Samus Aran

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Captain Falcon

\- Arataka Reigen

\- Sonic


	18. Episode 14 Part 1 - Sea of Clouds!

Episode 14: Sea of Clouds!

**Laau Haupa: Day 27**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Wii Fit Trainer - Captain Falcon - Arataka Reigen - Sonic

The weather was never perfect in the Tropics, though nine times out of ten the survivors received glorious sunshine that was backed up with a breeze that ranged from gentle to fresh depending on the day. Today was unlike any other day, however, as the survivors had awakened to dark clouds blotting out the sky. It wasn't raining nor was a storm brewing, but the lack of light made it darker than dusk. The air was chilly, but the wind had no strength to it at all, to the point where the wind was the mildest it had ever been thus far.

Due to this, the survivors woke up considerably later in the day, as they were accustomed to being naturally awakened by the sunlight, or at least some indicator that it was daytime.

The first one to wake up was the one who had the best sleeping schedule out of all of them, though even they woke up a couple of hours later. This person was Wii Fit Trainer, and she quietly exited the hut when she noticed that everyone else was sleeping placidly.

"What time is it?" She thought to herself before regaining focus and staring into the brutally cloudy sky, her face going from curious and ruffled to surprised.

Deciding to ignore the anomaly weather, she walked over to the Leaderboards and looked in the bottom right.

2:45 PM.

People usually woke up between 8 AM and 10 AM, and they now only had an hour and a bit before the Roulette began. She had to wake them all up.

Slowly, Wii Fit Trainer walked up to each individual survivor and nudged their shoulder with her hand, repeating the process again and again as they began to wake up at their own pace.

"Huh?" Captain Falcon yawned, stretching in the process. "What are you waking us for?"

He then noticed the lack of light outside, before shrugging and laying back down, his eyes still open. "It's still night, so unless Alexa's telling us to get up, I'm not wasting my energy..."

Samus instantly shot up upon being nudged, looking at the lack of light. "What do you want, Wii Fit?"

Wii Fit Trainer was visibly disgruntled at Captain Falcon's reaction but decided to answer his and Samus' questions. "It's nearly 3 PM."

"Pretty sure you mean 3 AM because it'd be a lot brighter at 3 PM," Reigen rubbed his eyes, the ceiling of the shelter preventing him or anyone else from noticing the clouds.

"If it WAS three AM you wouldn't see anything," she grumbled. "Look, it's strangely cloudy outside, that's why there's no light to wake us all up. We've all overslept and the Roulette is an hour, we're lucky I woke up and checked."

Sonic nodded. "Okay, but I don't see the problem with that. What's Alexa gonna do? Eliminate us all?"

"He's a downright psychopath at times, and nobody wants a psychopath annoyed, especially when they got a lot of power of you," Reigen admitted, brushing his clothing with his hands before standing up, going outside to check if it really was cloudy. "Huh?!"

There he saw it, the same thing Wii Fit Trainer had witnessed earlier.

"She's not wrong," he said. "It really is just cloudy."

"WAIT, BUT HOW ARE YOU AWARE OF THE TIME?" Papyrus interrogated. "IN FACT, MISS TRAINER, YOU ALWAYS SEEM TO KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS..."

Mario looked baffled at his unreasonably suspicious comment. "Don't you-a know about the clock on the Leaderboards?"

The skeleton shook his head before jumping out of the hut and over to the leaderboards, gawking at the oddity weather in the process.

When he did, he came back angrily. "IT'S NOT 3 PM! IT'S FIFTEEN O' CLOCK!"

"Papyrus, that's a twenty-four-hour clock..." Sonic corrected.

"HMMM?" He was unsure of what the hedgehog meant.

"Instead of-a having AM or PM, which are-a both twelve hours, a twenty-four-hour clock goes from-a 00:00 to 23:59." Mario described as best he could.

"Is Papyrus some sort of alien? He talks like he's new to everything on Earth, like how he does with Chess or clocks. I've also find it strange how he's a living skeleton, because I don't see those outside of old, lame, black and white horror movies.

Papyrus gave a slow, slightly aware nod. "I SEE... SO WHY DID SHE SAY 3PM-"

"Can we not argue about time please? I'm already bored enough as it is," Captain Falcon groaned. "Let's just wait for the Roulette, get it over with, then try and catch as many fish as we can before it starts to get dark. That's the plan for today."

He hoisted himself off of the floor and out of the hut, giving another stretch before walking off to the Leaderboards.

Soon, everyone left the hut one by one and got in with their final hour before the Roulette.

Reigen decided to lounge under a tree facing the Rockies where the rest of his tribe were, thinking to himself.

"Strange weather... I know we've had a storm before, but giant dark clouds with no wind, rain, thunder or anything is something I've never seen before. Dark clouds are usually clouds that are about to rain as well, so it's odd but a relief that none of them are drenching us right now." - Arataka Reigen.

Captain Falcon and Wii Fit Trainer also snuck off towards the woods, though they did it separately at slightly different times to make sure nobody got suspicious. Sonic just thought that Captain Falcon was going on another walk, judging from the conversation they had a couple of days ago.

"The reason for the alliance of Papyrus, Little Mac and Josuke going bust is due to how vocal they made it, they didn't try to split up at all, and that's how people eventually caught on and eliminated them! The same regrettably happened with the alliance I had with Johnny, though, which is regrettable but at least I've learned from my mistakes!" - Captain Falcon.

That left Samus, Mario and Sonic to themselves, in a small group huddled in between the shelters.

As Reigen gazed into the sky, he heard footsteps coming up towards him. By tilting his head down, he caught a glimpse of Papyrus and rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, I'm trying to relax..."

Papyrus didn't hear the remark and finally arrived in front of him. "I'VE BEEN MEANING TO ASK YOU, REIGEN..."

"Ask me about what?" He asked, slightly curious.

"YOU IMPLIED THAT YOU WERE A PSYCHIC!" Papyrus knelt next to him. "NOW, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I WOULD LIKE TO ASK TO YOU ABOUT THIS COMPETITION..."

Reigen gulped. "Errm, okay, give me your questions!"

"OKAY, I SHALL START OFF MILD IN CASE IT INTERFERES WITH YOUR PSYCHIC CAPABILITIES, LIKE A WARMUP!" Papyrus announced. "WHO SHALL HAVE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF POINTS AT THE END OF TOMORROW'S CHALLENGE?"

He smirked. "That's an easy one! It won't be you, most likely."

"...YES, THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR, BUT WHO SPECIFICALLY?" The skeleton pressured.

Reigen gave a cough as he twiddled his thumbs, not knowing what to say. "Y'know Papyrus, I haven't done much Psychic training lately due to my lack of equipment, so I don't know specifics that well. All you need to know is that you definitely won't be the next eliminee." He lied.

"ELIMINEE? I ASKED ABOUT POINTS, NOT ELIMINATION!" Papyrus began to look suspicious, which is something the "Psychic" didn't expect to see happen.

To save his skin from losing respect, he decided to spit out a quick yet false retaliation. "Well you said you're going to ask questions right? I decided to go ahead and answer one of the other questions you were going to ask me."

...

"I SEE!" Papyrus beamed. "GOOD TO KNOW THAT I'M NOT GOING TO BE ELIMINATED, OR LAST IN POINTS. NOW THAT OUR WARMUP SEEMS MORE THAN FINISHED, DO YOU KNOW WHO THE WINNER IS GOING TO BE?"

"Again, specifics..." Reigen denied an answer.

"WELL DO YOU KNOW IF I WILL WIN OR NOT?" He asked.

He froze once more, gulping silently as he shrugged. "Well if a Psychic like me knew if you were going to win from the very beginning I wouldn't have signed up. You see Papyrus, I don't to spoil the surprise for me or anyone, as that's just a buzzkill that would kill your morale, correct?"

"YOU ARE CORRECT INDEED!" Papyrus folded his arms. "WELL, IF YOU DON'T KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS SHOW DUE TO YOUR LACK OF TRAINING IN THIS SITUATION, THEN I SHALL PESTER YOU NO MORE. AT LEAST I'M COMPLETELY SAFE!"

As the monster walked off triumphantly, Reigen stopped him. "H-hey, wait!"

"HUH?" He turned his head. "WHAT DO YOU NEED?"

"I can give you some details about my Spirits and Such Consultation Office, I got some fine workers, and we can do lots of exorcism techniques for you and family or friends!" Reigen offered.

Papyrus shook his head. "SORRY, I DON'T REALLY SEE GHOSTS AS EVIL. THE VERY FEW THAT I KNOW OF ARE DECENT BEINGS THAT DO NOT DESERVE EXORCISM. HOWEVER, I SHALL INFORM FRIENDS JUST IN CASE THEIR STANCES ARE DIFFERENT."

"Good, don't forget to tell them!" He pleaded as the skeleton walked off. He then rested back at the tree like nothing had happened. "Tsk... that's what all "interested" customers say..."

Meanwhile, Captain Falcon and Wii Fit Trainer met up in the forest, nobody else around.

"Alright, so looking at the leaderboards, the amount of people that can be in Safe Haven went down from four to three, so Sonic is finally vulnerable!" Wii Fit Trainer announced.

"Don't be too excited," warned Falcon. "We still got luck and another challenge in our way, and now that we've lost Little Mac, there's only Papyrus that could potentially be swayed onto our side. Things are only going to get harder from here."

Even through the warning, she decided to go through with her optimism. "I'm sure things will work out! We just need to make sure that he doesn't get a good score on this next challenge, and also pray that he doesn't get lucky in this next Roulette."

He scoffed at her last few words. "If praying was a good strategy then I should have done the best on every single challenge."

"That is true, but it's never a bad time to hope!" She argued. "Anyway, is this all the information we have right now?"

Captain Falcon nodded before turning to walk off. "You go on back, I'm going for another walk, that way people will think we were doing separate things."

"Oh, okay!" Wii Fit Trainer waved to him as he disappeared, before turning and walking off for herself, this time retreating to the others at the tribe.

Back at the Rockies, the group between Mario, Sonic, and Samus were discussing the games.

"I wonder who voted for-a Papyrus last night?" Speculated Mario.

"Captain Falcon was likely to be one of them, as I remember him sticking up for Little Mac back before Dedede was eliminated," Samus assumed. "The other person is a mystery, maybe it was actually Little Mac, as odd as that sounds."

Sonic shook his head. "Nah, it can't be! All of us here voted for Papyrus, right? I imagine Papyrus and Little Mac voted for Reigen, so out of Wii Fit Trainer and Reigen, one of them voted for Papyrus, and the other voted for Little Mac like us, and I think I got a lil' idea as to who voted for Papyrus..."

"You do?" Mario raised his eyebrow. "Not like it'll mean anything, I'm not going to-a hold it against anyone who voted for-a Papyrus or Reigen."

The hedgehog nodded. "Yesterday, I caught a glimpse of Wii Fit Trainer and Captain Falcon walking together before we entered Tribal Council. If that guy really voted for Papyrus, then I bet he might have convinced Wii Fit Trainer to do the same."

"Strange how they were talking to each other and nobody else, I may just keep an eye on them in case Falcon got back into the alliance game following Johnny's elimination." Samus glared towards the forest, where she saw Captain Falcon leave to not long ago.

"I will too," Sonic added.

Mario began chuckling. "I-a guess that means I should do so as well!"

"GOOD NEWS, EVERYBODY!" Papyrus yelled, running up towards them.

"Great... I was just beginning to enjoy the peace," Samus groaned.

The skeleton leaped over with joy, something nobody had expected considering what had happened to his alliance throughout the past few Tribal Councils.

"I AM SAFE FROM ELIMINATION!" He announced. "IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY NONE OTHER THAN ARATAKA REIGEN, THE PSYCHIC!"

Sonic blankly stared, his eyelids dropping down slightly to show how displeased he was. Mario placed a hand over his face upon hearing the news, and Samus continued to glare.

Papyrus was confused over their joyless expressions. "ERRR, IS THAT NOT A GOOD THING?"

"Come on, Reigen's clearly a con-artist!" Claimed Sonic.

"He tried to pull it off on me, and the confidence somebody needs to try and get me interested in their fraudulence is inspirational," admitted Samus. "...Yet impressively stupid."

The skeleton, whilst usually one for taking the majority's word on the matter, decided to go against them. "THAT'S NOT TRUE! HE DEFINITELY HAS SOME PSYCHIC CAPABILITIES, AND HE TOLD ME THAT I ALSO WON'T BE LAST PLACE ON THE LEADERBOARDS BY NEXT TRIBAL COUNCIL!"

"Well let's just-a see how that turns out, shall we?" Mario recommended. "That way you'll know if he really is Psychic or-a not!"

"Even if both of those predictions are right, it won't mean that Reigen has the ability to predict the future," said Samus. "But sure, let's go off of that. Papyrus' chance of climbing out of last place is minimal, after all..."

Papyrus smiled. "GREAT, YOU'RE GIVING HIM A CHANCE!"

"I wouldn't call it a chance, more of a 'We're waiting for that golden moment where we get to tell you and him that we told you so!' sort of thing." Sonic rectified.

"OH..." He pouted. "WELL, I SHALL BE THE ONE TO BASK IN THE GLORY WHEN YOU ARE ALL THE ONES WHO ARE WRONG!"

As Papyrus triumphantly stomped off, Mario gave a sigh. "He's a handful..."

"You can say that again," Wii Fit Trainer stated, stepping towards them. "I was heading back and I could hear Papyrus from the forest."

"He's a nice guy, he's-a just childlike," stated Mario. "And loud, which is-a obvious."

Samus then decided to change the subject from the loud and pompous skeleton to her skepticism towards Wii Fit Trainer. "Any reason why you left to go to the forest earlier?"

"Where else am I supposed to go to the bathroom?" She questioned mendaciously.

All of a sudden, the bounty hunter felt a little stupid asking that, and to cover up her now-ridiculous pursuit, she nodded slowly. "Yeah, that makes a lot of sense on second thought."

When their confusion was "supposedly" cleared up by Wii Fit Trainer, they continued chatting about unimportant topics for a little longer before preparing to grab the others for the Roulette, leaving the tribe...

* * *

**Roulette: Day 27**

When they arrived at the beach, the weather hadn't shifted off of its dull, windless and dark state even after an hour. And judging by how they weren't awakened in the first place, many survivors suspected that the weather had been like this since very early on, long before they woke up.

After standing still and talking amongst themselves, Alexa walked up to them, his usual energetic and exciting aura greeting them before any words were even said.

"Hello survivors!" He gave a playful salute to greet them. "It's almost hard to believe that there were so many more of you guys! I especially started to notice a decline in size when Dedede was eliminated..."

His little joke managed to get a chuckle out of a few of them, and he then continued on with the Roulette. "Today's Roulette will be themed around your number, which is the lucky seven! One of these boxes, listed from A to G, will contain a whopping one-hundred points! The other boxes will range from basic prizes, but probably nothing as grand as that box, so get lucky!"

"I REALLY NEED THAT BOX. THOUGH WITH SOME SIMPLE DETERMINATION AND HOPE, THE GREAT PAPYRUS CAN SURELY PULL IT OFF!" Papyrus posed, fixing his cape.

"I'm in danger again, so that box is just what I need to get back into the Safe Haven!" Proclaimed Sonic with enthusiasm. "Now all I need is luck..."

Mario nudged him on the shoulder. "With that white rock you-a supposedly drew, I don't think you should-a be counting on-a luck!"

The hedgehog grinned over the cheeky comment. "You'd be surprised, plumber..."

"As usual, the order will go from the one with the most points to the least amount of points! So without further ado, allow Samus Aran to start us off!" Announced Alexa.

Samus decided to choose Box F.

Wii Fit Trainer chose Box C.

Mario chose Box D.

Sonic chose Box A.

Arataka Reigen chose Box G.

Captain Falcon chose Box B.

And finally, Papyrus had no other choice but to choose Box E.

Upon receiving the cue from Alexa, the survivors opened their boxes individually:

Samus Aran - -30

Wii Fit Trainer - 10% Multiplier

Mario - 10

Sonic - -10

Arataka Reigen - 30

Captain Falcon - 15% Multiplier

Papyrus - 100

"WOWIE! I ACTUALLY DID GET THE BOX I WANTED!" Papyrus jumped for joy. "LOOKS LIKE THE GREAT PAPYRUS REALLY SHALL CLIMB OUT OF LAST PLACE."

"I think I'm still ahead of you, mainly thanks to that awesome multiplier I got," Captain Falcon cracked his knuckles. "But I'm not going to rest until I'm safe!"

Samus tutted under her breath. "Looks like good luck has been out of the question lately."

"Negative ten points? That's such a small yet negative difference that it's just a bummer," Sonic whinged.

Alexa then continued onward. "Now it's time to add these onto your totals:"

* * *

***SAFE HAVEN***

SAMUS ARAN - 505

WII FIT TRAINER - 441

MARIO - 392

***DANGER ZONE***

ARATAKA REIGEN - 325

SONIC - 323

CAPTAIN FALCON - 314

PAPYRUS - 254

* * *

"Wow, not much difference there! The only arguably big changes include Papyrus beginning to catch up to Captain Falcon, and Reigen swapping with Sonic in terms of ranking," observed Alexa. "Still, a pretty decent Roulette if I do say so myself."

Sonic grimaced at the sight of him slipping more and more away from safety, as Reigen gained more confidence in himself as he neared closer to it. Mario was simply glad that he had a huge lead over the vulnerable survivors, though he wouldn't rely on such a lead to keep him from losing the position. After all, Wii Fit Trainer and Samus both had massive leads over him.

"IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER!" Papyrus gawked. "YOU WERE RIGHT REIGEN, I'M GOING TO ESCAPE FROM LAST PLACE BY NEXT TRIBAL COUNCIL AFTER ALL!"

"Whoa whoa, don't make it too vocal," Reigen pleaded, slightly caught off guard.

"No need, make it as vocal as you want Papyrus, considering you've told us already," Samus gave an annoyed gaze towards Reigen. "Maybe you can try lying to people somewhere else?"

He audibly took a gulp in response, but he decided to grow brave and counter Samus and her harsh opinion. "I'm the Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century, so I naturally feel inclined to deny the part where you said I was lying. Papyrus was just curious to know."

"Enough arguing over mental powers already!" Alexa cut off the incoming argument. "The Roulette is now over, so you may return to your tribe! Though if you care about learning about why the weather is like it is, feel free to stick around."

To the host's relief, nobody decided to walk off from the area.

"Good! I expected at least somebody to rudely walk away, but I'm glad you're all interested in the region. Once a year, the Tropics undergo what they call "Cloudblots". This lasts for around three, sometimes four days before going away. The reason why it has its name is because of locals that first noticed it believed that the clouds were that dense and crowded that they not only blotted out the sun, but also the wind. Those guys are obviously wrong since that's not how wind works, though it explains why this anomaly weather period is named this way," he explained. "Nothing bad is going to happen, though it may interfere with tomorrow's challenge, that's just a cliffhanger!"

The survivors were slightly curious over the last part, but were mainly interested in the history and the explanation behind these so-called "Cloudblots".

"Now, you may head on back to your tribe," stated Alexa.

The cluster of the seven survivors soon left the beach, heading on back to the Rockies or to the beach to scavenge for fish...

* * *

**Challenge: Day 28**

The bright optimism and will-power within the seven survivors contrasted greatly with the dull, dark and cloudy sky as they poured out onto the beach, Alexa there already.

On the coast lay the boat, more eye-catching than usual due to its lights being turned on to counteract the darkness of the weather.

"To think it's the high noon is crazy!" Alexa acknowledged. "Seems like these Cloudblots haven't gotten better or worse, even after a full day."

With bemusement, he gazed upwards, gawking at the anomaly for a further minute before snapping back to reality and taking a gander at the survivors.

"Alright then, as usual, we'll be going to the boat to explore the Tropics! However, I want it to be known that this will be the final challenge that will involve leading the island, so to make it extra special, you will be going to the biggest, most well-known island in the Tropics that we've been saving 'til last!"

He declared. "Survivors, you may hop on the boat!"

For supposedly the final time in the show, the survivors hopped on as the boat quickly took off. Some were easily able to rest now that direct sunlight had been blocked out by the weather. This negative factor being erased caused almost the entire tribe to doze off for at least ten minutes, as the ride there was around an hour long.

After some waiting and resting, Papyrus and Samus were the only ones awake, and whilst Papyrus was day-dreaming, Samus kept a lookout for this final destination.

Whilst looking for it, something caught her eye, and it turned out to be a massive, tall silhouette that was in the direction of the boat. She had been to many different planets, each one offering some intimidating geography and inhabitants, but to see something of that scale and shape in the middle of the ocean, backed up by a moody and dim sky, nearly gave her chills.

Rudely, Alexa began at the peacefully resting survivors. "I CAN SEE THE ISLAND, WAKE UP SURVIVORS!"

They all shot awake, and Papyrus turned his head to see if the island was there, and his eyes nearly popped out with surprise. "OH MY GOD!"

"I-is that the island?" Captain Falcon then cleared his throat in an attempt to brush off his fearful stutter.

"It looks-a so tall..." Mario couldn't believe his eyes. The plumber had seem some pretty tall and big mountains in his time, in fact some of which were even taller than this one, but to see it plopped in the middle of the ocean as a hazy and eerie silhouette shocked the plumber to no end, and the same could be said for every other survivor that looked at it.

The silhouette got clearer and clearer as they got closer and closer, it was no longer on the horizon at this point, but the detail was still impossible to see.

Alexa was bobbing up and down on his seat, he was excited for this final out-of-island challenge more than anyone else, which was no competition considering all survivors and staff members dreaded taking part in whatever challenge they would be doing on the mountainous island.

It was crazy how the large silhouette got bigger and bigger, and they weren't even close to arriving at it yet.

"I've seen island silhouettes in the distance before, and not a single one of them has resembled that big guy over there," Sonic confessed. "Though I'm not scared of this mountain, it's just pretty crazy to see it in the middle of the ocean."

Reigen decided to look for anything beyond the island's silhouette, and as they got closer, he began to make out small little details. The bottom appeared to house some sort of greenery, whether it was trees or grass, and there was a small distinguishable yellow line around the bottom that appeared to be the coastline. The mountain itself was large and grey, which gave him the impression that it was a rocky mountain. He was usually calm and collected, but the possibility of partaking in such a place gave him some anxiety.

Eventually, even the others who didn't attempt to notice detail managed to make out the color of the mountain, and the greenery plus coastline along the bottom. They also noticed that the peak of the mountain was likely in or above the clouds. This fact reminded them of Alexa's words yesterday:

"Nothing bad is going to happen, though it may interfere with tomorrow's challenge, but that's just a cliffhanger!"

Even if it now seemed obvious, no survivor really betted on this possibility. Sonic even found the fact that he used "cliffhanger" to be a funny, yet probably unintentional pun from the host.

As the mountain strayed less and less away from its silhouette appearance caused by the hazy horizon, the emotions that everyone felt about it got stronger and stronger, whether that was confidence, excitement or despair.

Soon, the mountain was completely clear, all of the detail they saw from any faraway mountain was now completely visible to them, and Alexa used this opportunity to greet the survivors to the island.

"SURVIVORS, WELCOME TO MOUNT KAPELA!" Alexa announced. "The infamous tall mountain that extends beyond the clouds is right in front of your faces! Once we land and get off, I'll explain to you the challenge, but just know it will be one of if not THE greatest obstacle in your path to becoming the Sole Survivor

yet!"

After more waiting and gawking at the mountain, the survivors braced themselves for impact as the boat crudely hit the coast, Alexa quickly hopping out afterward to beckon the others onto the coast.

Whilst unable to comment on it, the survivors were a little worried over the massive amount of staff, including medical staff, that were present nearby, many of them out of the way and chatting to one another too far to hear.

"Okay, get it over with Alexa, because I know what this challenge is about," Reigen gulped, waiting for the response.

Alexa nodded. "Now, this is probably one of the biggest challenges you'll ever face, maybe in this competition. There will never be something to this scale again, nothing as triumphant, as epic or as incredible as climbing Mount Kapela, and that is what today's challenge is all about, you survivors will have to race to the top of this mountain! Whilst your route has been carved out for you relatively well, eliminating a lot of the stress that comes with hiking up one of these babies, you will still need to be fast, strong and durable if you want a chance at beating this mountain. Any questions before I explain the race in detail?"

"Yeah, I got one," Wii Fit Trainer raised her hand. "This is a steep, gigantic mountain, right? With some levels of parkour necessary to get to the top? If so, something could go brutally wrong!"

The host sighed, knowing that the concern was inevitably coming. "Yes, I know about that. I got plenty of medical staff and other staff to keep an eye on you guys, especially during the 'dangerous' segments. Though, I don't think you guys won't need it!"

"W-we won't?" She asked, almost offended.

"You guys are some of the biggest stars or heroes that people have ever seen! You all carry power and skill in you that the average Joe just can't possess, and considering you've managed to come out of every other challenge unscathed, you guys will be fine! The biggest risk factor would be you guys falling off, but like I said, there's already a route that you will have to go through, so unless you're purposefully going to throw yourself off the mountain, feel more confident!" Alexa motivated them with a grin. "You guys can do it."

Papyrus nodded. "GREAT SPEECH, ALEXA, I KNOW I CAN WIN THIS CHALLENGE, LET ALONE CLIMB THIS PATHETIC MOUNTAIN! I'VE LIVED IN, OR WELL, UNDER TALLER ONES THAN THAT... I THINK."

"Well good for you!" He smirked. "This race will be split into three segments, so listen up:

Segment A will consist of running and climbing up the semi-gentle slopes of the mountainside, a simple foot race with some other elements in there other than running. This segment will end with a large ladder-climb to the first checkpoint, which will be a white flag!

Segment B is a trek through the caves of the mountain, which will act as a dark labyrinth similar to the challenge you did around for days ago! Once you find the exit, the checkpoint will be right next to two elevators, you will take one of seven small chain elevators over to Section C. You will also be able to tell who has escaped the cave before you by judging the number of elevators left when you arrive!

The final segment, Segment C, is one last trek to the peak of Mount Kapela, with mostly climbing with a final sprint up some stairs to the finish line. You should be above cloud-level too, so it'll unintentionally look even more awesome than it already is! Anyway, once you get to the top, I will be there to congratulate you all!" He explained. "Do you all understand?"

They all nodded as Papyrus was more eager to find out the scores received from winning. "THIS IS ALL INTERESTING, BUT HOW MANY POINTS DO YOU GET FOR GETTING FIRST PLACE?"

Alexa kicked the floor awkwardly. "Well, this challenge is going to be a little different... in fact, this whole day is going to be different from your usual."

"What does that mean?" Captain Falcon asked. "Because I do NOT like the sound of that at all."

"First place shall receive two-hundred points, second place shall receive one-hundred, and third place shall receive fifty," he said. "Sounds normal at first, but fourth place, fifth place, and sixth place will earn no points whatsoever. As for seventh place, their punishment will be very severe, as they will be eliminated from Survivor Crossover entirely, regardless of their position on the Leaderboards, and regardless of any idol they may have. It's less about earning the reward this time, and more about avoiding the punishment."

"WHAAAAAT?!" Papyrus cried. "YOU MEAN THAT OUR HARD-EARNED POINTS SHALL GO TO WASTE?!"

He nodded. "Yeah, but only if you're last place, Papyrus. Also, Tribal Council will not take place tonight, either."

"Tribal Council is canceled, I still have a chance of going home despite my points, AND the challenge is a race, which is Sonic's specialty! It's like all of my luck just went out the window within five seconds." - Wii Fit Trainer.

"I'm no match for people like Samus, Mario, Sonic, or Captain Falcon, so I could very well be going home if I lose to the others..." - Arataka Reigen.

Alexa then snapped his fingers, and numerous staff came from behind them, holding flasks of water. "This challenge will be a long and draining one, so you shall all be given a drinking flask of half a litre to drink, which you may refill with each checkpoint you pass."

"That's a relief, I surely can't do something as grand as climbing a mountain without hydration," Wii Fit Trainer gave a large sigh of relief as she was given her flask.

After receiving the items, Alexa then proceeded to get on with the challenge. "The race shall begin shortly, so all survivors will line up one by one..."

When lining up, many of them thought about the previous challenges, and how they failed to be as nerve-wracking as this one, except maybe the ghost hunting one, or for Sonic, the deep-sea challenge. Nonetheless, this would be their greatest obstacle towards winning yet, as Alexa said, and they took steady breaths as they readied themselves...

"Survivors, you will run into that small forest opening there, which has a path that will take you to the mountain where you will begin scaling up it! You may take shortcuts off of the path, but don't be surprised if it ends up getting you lost! Now, it's time for me to begin the countdown!" He said, taking a deep breath before beginning his dramatic countdown:

"3..."

"2..."

"1... GO!" He yelled as every single survivor speeded off of the coast and into the adjacent forest...


	19. Episode 14 Part 2 - Live and Let Climb!

Episode 14 2/2: Live and Let Climb!

**Last time on Survivor Crossover: Tropics...**

Cloudblots, a rare natural phenomenon involving the bright sky of the Tropics being completely covered in thick, dark clouds, had occurred and affected everyone on the island.

Papyrus managed to nab the one-hundred point jackpot from the Roulette through sheer luck, boosting his chances of escaping the last place on the Leaderboards.

For the challenge, the survivors arrived on Mount Kapela, an incredibly tall mountain which they had to scale for the day's challenge. Not only that, but there was a twist, that twist being that whoever got last place on the race would be eliminated from Survivor Crossover next, eliminating the need for Tribal Council for tonight...

Who will succeed in this challenge? Who will fall? All will be answered in this second part of Episode 14!

* * *

**Mount Kapela: Day 28**

As they exited the glistening, fine beach and ran into the dark, nature-filled forest, there was a dirt path that was laid out right in front of them. It was full of bends and turns that could easily be skipped with a little shortcut to shave off a few seconds of the race.

The survivors weren't surprised when they saw that Sonic was no longer visible; he had left them in the dust due to his unmatchable speed, and the hedgehog had a cocky grin on his face as he zoomed through the forest to make it to the bottom of the mountain.

In a distant second place was Captain Falcon, whose speed and endurance was also rather impressive. He sprinted ahead of everyone, not caring much for the possibility of running out of stamina, even if he was aware of how it could bite back at him later in the race. Behind him was Samus and Wii Fit Trainer, head-to-head and constantly shifting between third and fourth place as they overtook one another.

Mario was right behind the two girls, deciding to take the slow and steady strategy so he could conserve his energy for the more demanding climbing sections of the race. Nonetheless, he didn't want to drag too far behind, which was why he decided to stay ahead of the two at the very end of the competition: Papyrus and Reigen.

Reigen had a similar strategy to Mario, not using his full potential just yet to conserve stamina, whilst Papyrus was running as fast as his bony legs could take him, and that speed wasn't all too impressive. However, his endurance was surprisingly decent, and he hoped that it would carry him far in the race.

* * *

Sonic hadn't been running for too long when he finally reached the end of the forest, the green trees above his head as well as the beautiful, rare flowers around him quickly grew less common as he sprinted out, following the dirt path onto the mountainside's entrance.

He quickly took a harsh stop upon seeing a sign that was bolted onto the rocky side of the mountain:

"To the left of this sign is a path that is about mostly climbing with barely any running, and to the right of this sign is a path that is mostly running with a little bit of climbing. You may choose your path..." The hedgehog read out. "Hmm, asking a hedgehog that's all about running forward to take the boring climbing route? Naaah, I'll pass on that one, sign."

Sonic proceeded to turn right as he began running up the path, which wrapped around the mountain like a spiral. He knew that nobody had even exited the forest yet, so he slowed down just a little to take in the beautiful scenery around him. He could now see the forest from above, and the natural scenery nearly

distracted him from the challenge in its entirety. However, he ended up snapping out of it after a minute before speeding up the path.

Eventually, he reached the ladder that Alexa had been talking about, which would lead to the first checkpoint as well as Section B.

"I haven't even touched my water yet!" Sonic shook his flask, hearing the water splash about. He then decided to quickly guzzle most of it down to keep hydrated as he began steadily climbing the ladder to the second section...

* * *

It had been a few minutes, and Captain Falcon had high hopes that he would make it out of this shabby forest, as the scenery was beginning to prove itself to be boring. He wanted to get to that mountain and quick.

To check how far ahead he was, he turned his head, sacrificing a little bit of his speed in the process.

Samus was a few meters behind him, and Wii Fit Trainer was lagging behind her, though still visible. He might have been able to see somebody else behind those girls, but he didn't want to spend too long looking in case he went headfirst into a tree.

Unfortunately for Captain Falcon, just as he had that thought and turned back to face forwards...

*WHAM*

His face slammed into the rough, grimy bark of the trees around him, causing all of his momentum and progress to suddenly halt.

Dazed, he quickly shook his head to regain focus, seeing that Samus and now Wii Fit Trainer were ahead. He may have accidentally brought a mild headache upon himself, but he knew that he could easily reclaim his position in the race.

Without turning behind him to check if there was anyone on his tail, for obvious reasons, Captain Falcon sprinted forward in an attempt to catch up to the two...

* * *

Whilst those three were having a close race with one another, a similar event was going on between Reigen and Mario, with Papyrus lagging far behind and observing the conflict.

Mario originally noticed Reigen catch up to him, and since there was a lot more of the race to go, he didn't think much of it. However, when he noticed that Reigen purposefully began running directly in front of Mario to screw over his speed, probably as an attempt to show off or mock him, Mario began getting annoyed.

In response, the plumber ran past Reigen, though had the courtesy to not go directly in front of him, to show the "Psychic" that it wasn't a mutual rivalry. Whilst Mario thought him being the bigger person would pay off, he visibly frowned when Reigen pulled off the same shtick again. This time it was personal, and he was going to get back at him.

For the next minute or so, Papyrus slowly caught up to Mario as he was slowly lagging more and more behind Reigen, who was growing more confident in his ability to make it out of the challenge alive as he caught a glimpse of Falcon in the distance.

However, as he took Mario off of his mind, the Italian in red dashed over and slid forwards with his feet out, kicking Reigen in his calf, which caused him to lose balance and plummet onto the cold forest pathway. He steadily got to his feet as Mario was now far in front of him, and Papyrus managed to sprint past him by time Reigen's speed was back to its origin.

* * *

Sonic finally reached the top of the tall rope ladder, taking a tiny breather as he looked at his surroundings. Behind him was a beautiful glance at the island's scenery around him, as well as the pristine, glimmering sea. In front of him was a white flag: the first of two checkpoints in the race, as well as the entrance to a cave that was nearly pitch-black if not for the uselessly dim torches that were plastered along the wall.

Drinking the rest of his flask, Sonic wandered over to the flag, his eye catching several water-filled wooden buckets next to it. He was assuming that he would be filling his flask with the contents of these buckets, and he did so patiently, not caring for the possibility of someone overtaking him. After all, he had overtaken them ages ago, he had time to kill.

After filling it, he ventured into the mountainous caves, beginning the second section of the race before, to his knowledge, anyone was even close to finishing the first.

The caves of the mountain were much different compared to the oceanic caves of the challenge he participated in a few days ago. For starters, it was a lot darker overall, and the temperature was strangely cooler than the other ones he explored. Another big difference was how the ground beneath him was completely flat to compensate for the extra darkness, and the torches along the walls, whilst being useless for navigating anything else, were to show people where the walls were located in case they crashed into them by accident.

The hedgehog took it a little slower due to the darkness, wanting to try and keep track of where he was at, as this cave was described to be maze-like.

His first gut instinct was to turn left sharply into one of the three pathways he was presented with, which was also the narrowest path...

* * *

Samus was now ahead of the race, barring Sonic. She managed to escape the forest and onto the mountainside, where she would begin traveling upwards to the ladder. When she came across the sign that explained the two pathways, she skimmed across it and jumped onto the right path, running up the mountainside.

Wii Fit Trainer followed next, and she slowed down a small bit in order to read the sign in front of her. The option was to climb for the rest of the section on the left pathway or to run for the rest of the section on the right pathway. After minimal thinking time, she decided on following Samus, turning right and also running up before it wasted her any more precious time.

A few seconds after her, Captain Falcon arrived, quickly stopping and turning his head to see if anyone was coming up, and to his surprise, he saw Mario in the far distance.

He turned to the sign, once again offering the two options to him, and he decided on taking the left pathway, as his hypothesis was that the more physically-demanding route would be the shorter or more rewarding one. With pace, he began leaping up large steps on the mountainside, his face getting coated with dust from the rocks in the process, which caused him to irritably grimace.

Although they had taken different paths, Captain Falcon was still technically behind Wii Fit Trainer and Samus, though if this path paid off, then he would likely be ahead of the two once again.

* * *

Reigen and Papyrus were both far behind the rest of the competition. Reigen was behind due to being tripped up by Mario and losing all of his speed in a flash, and Papyrus, directly in front of the "Psychic", was simply not fast enough to catch up to Mario, causing him to stay at the far back. Even though his running speed wasn't all too impressive, he did have decent endurance, so he didn't plan on slowing down from fatigue any time soon.

Arataka felt insulted that he was at the far back of the race, even losing to Papyrus in his position. Although he had the trip coming to him via karma, and he acknowledged that, he still vowed to beat Mario in the race, which became a pipe dream once the plumber had disappeared from his sight.

He felt a burst of energy surge through him, and he ran quickly past the skeleton that was barely overtaking him, not bothering to glance at him as he went past. Reigen knew that his chances of elimination were high if he was this far behind in the race, so he decided to use some of his pent up energy to speed past Papyrus and catch up with Mario.

Papyrus felt insulted as he was overtaken, though the skeleton couldn't do much about it. He attempted to take a short-cut, which would save him a few seconds and also surpass the foe in front of him at the same time, but as he did so, he tripped on a stubborn tree root and lost a lot of his speed, luckily not falling over.

The stakes felt high between the two, and they weren't even close to finishing the race yet, not even close to finishing the first section! Both knew that the early-game in this challenge would affect them as far as the very end of the challenge too, so even if Reigen wanted to conserve his energy for the later sections, he had to at least catch up to Mario so he wasn't going to fall too far behind. After all, with the second section sounding like a labyrinth of luck, anyone can win or lose this challenge.

Reigen grew surprised as he saw that the trees and shrubbery of the forest came to an end, as the dirt path guided him and the determined monster behind him to the split pathway of the mountainside, with Mario taking a sharp left in plain sight.

As Mario took this sharp left, he began springing up the rocks and steps of the mountain. It was seen as shocking to Papyrus, gawking at him from a distance, that somebody like him could simply hop up from rock to rock without a breather or any recoil from such an energy-draining task. He almost felt inspired by such skill, that he would try and replicate it himself by going to the left path when he got there.

When they both arrived, however, Mario had disappeared from sight, and they decided to make their quick decisions on which path to take.

Although he didn't notice the right path when he got there, Papyrus was still fixated on going through the same path that the plumber had made, and he began climbing up the rocks, quickly yet vastly inferior to Mario's ultimate capabilities.

Reigen, however, decided on going to the right path, as it looked far easier than the left path, even if he thought that the left path would likely be much more rewarding. He didn't want to drain ALL of his stamina so early on in the challenge.

* * *

Samus and Wii Fit Trainer ran up the mountainside. Wii Fit Trainer ran formally, kicking her legs back as she was swinging her arms rhythmically. The wind would have tackled her body and her momentum if it wasn't so mild thanks to the weather. Samus ran a little more desperately, though on the inside she didn't feel any form of desperation in her at all, she just looked like she was at the final mile, though she was only getting started on the race...

It was difficult to not pay attention, but Wii Fit Trainer took long gazes at the beautiful scenery around her and the spiraling pathway she was taking. She could even spot the boat that they arrived on!

To her surprise, however, a massive plain black helicopter came flying upwards, seemingly out of nowhere, scaring her so much that she glued herself to the wall out of fright. What was even more shocking was that she saw that Samus showed little interest in the giant vehicle's presence or the roaring of the blades, and instead, she just continued running up as normal.

Getting her act back together, she continued running up, now a lot further behind Samus than she was before, which was a little disheartening, but it wasn't too problematic in the eyes of the fitness trainer.

They continued speeding up the mountain, nearly to the rope ladder that would lead them to the second section of the race.

* * *

Captain Falcon continued pulling himself up the rocky steps before jumping to the next one, forming a rhythm-like pattern as he slightly adjusted his clothing in the process. Nothing would stop the racer now, though that was only his thought.

Whilst climbing upwards and feeling that he was near to the ladder, he heard the grunts and faint noises of somebody behind him. The person's voice gave it all away: it was Mario, and he was almost caught up with Captain Falcon despite the great distance between the two prior.

He panicked as he climbed up quicker, wanting to guarantee the plumber getting to the second section before him by getting onto the ladder first, which would render him impossible to overtake.

Mario continued to hop upwards, the plumber having the same goal as the racer, which was to get to the ladder first. Almost like he was showing off, Mario performed three consecutive hops in a row, each one taller and faster than the last. Before they knew it, they were right next to each other.

However, with all of his might, Captain Falcon made one last jump upwards, and to his surprise, he had made it to the top of the left path, the ladder right in front of him.

"Sorry Mario!" He cackled as he grabbed onto it. "Can't overtake me now..."

As he mocked him, one last attempt to overtake him was made as the plumber jumped up and over Captain Falcon, grabbing onto a section of the rope ladder above him.

When he did so, all cockiness drained from Captain Falcon's face. Mario delivered his cocky smile back to him as he jumped up the ladder, the grumbling racer following suit.

Upon looking down below them, the two of them were surprised to see that Wii Fit Trainer and Samus Aran had arrived after them, and the two girls quickly latched onto the rope ladder for themselves before climbing up quickly.

* * *

Sonic took another right into the spiraling tunnels of the mountain as he took a small sip from his flask. For some reason, trying to see through the darkness was beginning to hurt his eyes as if he was staring into a bright light. This strain on his eyes was annoying, especially when he realized that he had no idea whether he was making progress in the cave or not.

After another left turn, the hedgehog found himself in another large room with several branching tunnels. At first, the hedgehog took another groan, as he was yet again put into ANOTHER situation where he had to make a choice. However, upon a second glance, his eyes lit up to find that one of the branching paths had a bright hue emitting from it. He ran over to his path, thinking that it'd be some form of freedom from the darkness.

To his dismay, Sonic looked down the tunnel to see the first checkpoint, which meant that he was back where he was initially. With a heavy heart knowing that his progress meant nothing, Sonic ran down the pathway he recently came through to retrace his steps and choose a different path, hoping that it would lead somewhere new.

As he ran back off, Mario hopped up and over the ladder, reaching the first checkpoint of the race. He quickly refilled his near-empty flask with water using the water buckets before running into the dark caverns.

Captain Falcon was right behind him, his completely empty flask was refilled quickly and brashly as he followed the plumber into the second section of the race.

Samus and Wii Fit Trainer then proceeded to finish climbing the ladder as they hopped up.

"Woah, those caves sure are dark..." Admitted Wii Fit.

"Nothing you haven't done before," Samus remarked as she filled her flask before running into the caves.

"Already? You'll lose all of your energy doing that!" She warned. "I'm going to be taking a couple of minutes off from the race."

The bounty hunter spat at the warning. "Have fun getting eliminated!" She exclaimed from afar as she was quickly enveloped by the darkness of the second section.

"Tsk, I won't get eliminated," she grumbled, taking a couple of stretches in between drinks of water.

* * *

"NYEH... HEH... HEH!" Papyrus had sweat dripping down his forehead as he looked at the murky sky. "IF IT WEREN'T... FOR... THE WEATHER... I'D... BE A FRIED SKELETON... HEH..."

The skeleton had been climbing for a while now, and he was only beginning to regret taking this pathway. His endurance was rather high before, but climbing up rock after rock and using his whole body was slowing him down.

He felt determined, yet miserable doing this, though all of that turned around when he caught a beautiful, holy glimpse of the rope ladder ahead. "JUST A LITTLE MORE CLIMBING AND I'LL BE UP THERE IN THE BLINK OF A HUMAN EYE!" He thought.

Regrettably, he also caught a not-so-beautiful and a not-so holy glimpse of someone climbing up the rope ladder, that person being Reigen Arataka himself, the person he had been racing head-to-head prior to splitting into different paths.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" He denied out loud, speeding up his climbing as he practically scraped his body along the dry rocks, eventually reaching the top.

With accomplishment, he shot both of his arms into the air with excitement shortly before hopping onto the ladder and climbing up.

Reigen darted his eyes downward at him and felt relieved, knowing that he was still ahead, and now by a long-shot.

He waved to him with mockery as he continued climbing up, the chilly air making the whole race a lot more bearable. Otherwise, he'd still be on the floor panting before he even got to the mountainside.

When the businessman reached the top, he saw Wii Fit Trainer resting next to buckets of water.

"What are you doing laying around?" He asked, filling his flask up with water. "There's a race to win, but if you're going to take one for the team then I'll be quite thankful..."

"I'm taking a break! You're going to run out of energy if you push yourself all at once. Ever heard of the Tortoise and the Hare?" She asked, raising her eyebrow frustratedly.

He nodded as he folded his arms with similar frustration, sliding his flask back into his pocket. "Oh come on, you're bringing up that story? Who decides to take a nap at the finish line? It's an unrealistic story that teaches a stupid moral."

"It's a metaphor!" Wii Fit Trainer barked back.

"Metaphor or not, it's not going to help you out here," he tutted. "Anyway, if you excuse me, I got a race to win. And another thing, Papyrus is almost up here too."

Reigen proceeded to run into the cave as she winded back a little more.

"When Papyrus gets up, that is when I start racing again," she said to herself.

Around one more minute passed before a glove appeared on the top of the ladder, proceeded by another, then the rest of Papyrus.

"NYEHEHEHEH! LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE ALL OUT OF STAMINA, MEANING THAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL NOT BE THE LAST ONE TO FINISH!" He taunted.

Wii Fit Trainer proceeded to glare, stand up, and run directly past him as he gawked with horror.

"NOOO, I JINXED IT!" Papyrus whined. "OH WELL... BETTER START THIS NEXT SECTION BEFORE I FALL EVEN MORE BEHIND..."

* * *

Samus had journeyed down a very narrow path that led her to a large room with decent brightness, at least compared to the cave's entrance. She could see multiple bats hanging down from the ceiling, just barely visible.

Two ladders were presented to her: a thin, rope ladder with bulky wooden rungs, and a thick wooden ladder that was bolted against the cavern walls. Both ladders went to different pathways, making her groan as she was given yet another choice to make that could make or break her entire run on this challenge.

The bounty hunter decided to go with her instincts and choose the weaker, less stable looking ladder, thinking that the riskiest one would lead to the best outcome. She then carried herself up until she reached the top, which was a long, dark and narrow stone corridor with several twists and turns.

With a sigh of frustration, she ventured down said pathway...

* * *

Captain Falcon went down a similar narrow pathway, though the main difference between this one and the one Samus went down was the lighting: this narrow path had NO lighting whatsoever, not even a very dimly lit torch on the wall, it was just complete darkness.

He held his hands out to ensure that they would hit the wall as opposed to his face, he didn't want it to take another battering, not after colliding with that tree earlier.

Sooner or later, Falcon was grateful and excited when he saw light at the end of the path. Though this light was the typical torches he had seen along the walls of the cave's entrance. Nevertheless, light was light, and he didn't have to worry about injuring himself in a tight dark space.

After reaching the end, he was greeted with a very tall ladder made from thick, coarse rope. He proceeded to begin climbing it, yet he couldn't see what was on the top...

* * *

Mario's path was rather different. Not only did it lead downwards into the mountain, but it was a very wide path compared to the thin-width tunnels that the others had decided to take. It was poorly lit like with most of the cave, yet Mario could see where he was going and where he wanted to go.

During his travels, two torches to the right of Jumpman caught his attention. These two torches were identical to the other torches aside from one glaring difference: their color. Instead of a red-orange hue radiating off of the lights, these two were completely white in color.

Out of nothing but curiosity, he walked over to these torches, bringing up multiple theories in his head as to why these two torches were different. He decided to investigate more, and to his surprise and luck, he found that another branching tunnel was between these two oddly colored lights, a very small yet big enough tunnel.

It was a very dark tunnel, but the odd torch here and there managed to help guide him along this specific tunnel. In contrast to the original pathway he was traveling down, it also sloped upwards a small bit, leading up into the mountain as opposed to down. This felt like progress, as he didn't expect the elevators to be located lower into the mountain.

* * *

When Wii Fit Trainer entered and began the second section of this grueling challenge, Papyrus followed right behind. She decided to unknowingly go down the same path that Samus had gone down, which was towards the right.

As she went down the cramped path, she heard shuffling behind her, causing her to turn around and look at Papyrus, who had followed her.

"Ahem..." She coughed forcefully. "Why are you following me?"

"I THINK YOU'LL FIND THAT YOU'RE THE ONE FOLLOWING ME!" He exclaimed. "I USED MY CLASSIC "RIGHT IS RIGHT" JUDGEMENT TO DECIDE WHICH PATH I SHOULD TAKE! SO MOVE ASIDE, PLEASE!"

"No way!" Wii Fit denied. "I was here first, you aren't squeezing past me. Mentalities like that won't help you out anyway."

"OH REALLY?" He scoffed. "I SHALL PROVE IT!"

After entering the large room with the two ladders, Papyrus began walking to the thick wooden ladder on the right. "THIS IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE THAT MY THEORY IS ALWAYS RIGHT! I SHALL PICK THE LADDER ON THE RIGHT!"

"Then I'll pick the one on the left, in that case." She folded her arms. "I might as well play along..."

Wii Fit Trainer then proceeded to hop up the thin rope ladder as Papyrus slowly managed his way up the bulky wooden one...

* * *

Not too long after starting his climb, Captain Falcon finally made it to the top of the ladder, and the curiosity in his face quickly shifted into a deep and maddened look as five more tunnels were presented in front of him. Another choice, and a large one at that.

"Come on! That ladder just leads to more cave? Lame..." He folded his arms. "Well, I guess I should have known that this cave wouldn't be so easy to escape. Now the question is which tunnel leads to that elevator..."

After rubbing his chin and using his usual strategy: gut instincts, to sus out where to go next, he decided to venture down the middle pathway...

* * *

Mario lightly bumped against the tunnel walls as he grew more annoyed, this was the third time he did that in this narrow cave, and it was clear that the torches weren't as helpful as he had initially thought.

"Owie!" He cried as his nose bonked against the wall yet again. "Grrrr..."

He started to keep his arms out again to try and prevent any more nasty bumps, though navigating through it was still a nightmare.

When he came to another torch, this one caught his eye similar to the last two he found. The color of it was white, whilst the usual torch colors in the secret tunnel were the usual orange-red hue. The fact that he found this tunnel in the first place due to the torches indicating its presence caused the plumber to feel the walls around it for any extra secret.

Even if it seemed obvious that he would find something, Mario didn't expect to find yet another tunnel, but he found to quickly eat his own words as his right hand slipped and found a very small hidden tunnel directly underneath the torch.

"A secret within a secret? Mama mia..." His levels of disbelief were in overdrive, though he quickly crawled into this tiny tunnel, hoping that it would lead to the elevator...

* * *

Wii Fit Trainer journeyed down her pathway, still finding Papyrus's words to be amusing to her. She wasn't one for calling out naivety, but saying that the right side will always be the correct side because of wordplay was just too foolish not to ignore, at least to her.

The tunnel she was traveling down was nothing too special. Just a linear, boring corridor that was as poorly lit as the other rooms she had been to already.

However, she caught a glimpse of something in the distance, a girl in a light-blue suit and a blonde ponytail heading down towards her. Was that Samus?

Unfortunately for the both of them, the corridor wasn't big enough for Wii Fit or Samus to simply move to the side so they could both go through. The situation appeared rather grim until Samus spoke up.

"Well, might as well tell you, otherwise you'll probably not get out of my way," said Samus. "The path I went through leads to a dead-end, so unless you want to stall your chances of winning even longer than you already have by 'taking a break', then I advise you head back quickly."

"Sheesh, how rude!" The fitness trainer thought, silently turning away from her as she made her way out swiftly.

She then thought of the dreadful outcome where Papyrus had been right all along. She doubted it, but planned to check it out just in case.

They re-entered the large room with the two ladders as she made her way down safely. However, she noticed that Samus wasn't following her down at all. Was she scared that the ladder would break?

Her question was answered as her eyes widened with pure astonishment, watching as Samus jumped from the top of the ladder they were traveling down to the bulky wooden ladder.

Naturally, such a risky move to her life caused Wii Fit Trainer to wince at the act, but when she regained her focus, Samus had made the jump perfectly, and moved into the path Papyrus had gone down.

She felt envious, but didn't let it get to her as she scrambled down the ladder she was on, and up the ladder, Samus jumped to in order to make sure that she wasn't slacking too far behind...

* * *

Papyrus twiddled his thumbs as he walked down the wide, decently lit corridor. He had been walking for a while now and was even getting bored, and was also too fatigued from the climb earlier to run.

"HOW LONG IS THIS TUNNEL?!" He cried. "THE END BETTER BE GOOD!"

Almost as if the mountain had been waiting for him to say it, the skeleton found that the tunnel was coming to an end, causing his eyes to brightly light up with hope as he exited his path and entered a large room.

He took a long gaze from the very left of his view to the very right, and towards the right were the seven elevators he had been looking for, easily visible thanks to bright lights accompanying them.

"OH MY GOD!" He gasped, noticing that none of the elevators had been taken yet. "I AM THE FIRST ONE HERE?! I DID EVEN BETTER THAN SONIC! THIS CALLS FOR A VICTORY POSE..."

Papyrus gave an accomplished pose as he fluttered his cape behind him, holding a smug yet satisfied look on his face, almost like he was giving silent thanks to a cheering audience.

When he opened his eyes, however, he noticed that Mario came scurrying out of a small hole and entered the room.

"Papyrus?!" He gazed at him, then to the elevators. "Wow... I-a did it!"

"YOU HAVE DONE SO INDEED. CARE TO TAKE PART IN MY VICTORY POSE?" Offered Papyrus.

Mario declined. "I'm-a sorry, but there's still one more section! I gotta get to the finish line before Sonic does."

The plumber ran up to the water buckets next to the checkpoint flag, adjacent to the elevators, filled up his flask, and stepped onto one of the elevators, gradually going up more and more as Papyrus gawked at the mechanism.

"IMPRESSIVE MACHINERY, ALEXA..." He remarked. "NOW, TIME FOR ME TO GET THE FULL EXPERIENCE!"

With glee, Papyrus entered the elevator next to the one Mario had taken, rising upwards in the same way...

* * *

Reigen continued running through the pathways, he felt as if he was beginning to go insane as he recognized the ones he hadn't even been to before. He had been stuck here with little progress, and the fact that he had winded back up at the beginning of the section several times was only making things worse.

He finally decided to check out the tunnel on the very right, the desperation to get out that he was facing caused him to temporarily develop the same "right is right" mindset as Papyrus.

After running down this tunnel, he came to the giant room with two ladders that many survivors had already ventured through, and he caught a glimpse of somebody's legs, assumed to be Wii Fit Trainer's, as they went down the pathway on top of the right ladder.

"Another person? This has to mean something!" He concluded happily as he climbed up the ladder. "I may not be a real psychic, but I know I won't be the last one to the top of the mountain!"

* * *

Captain Falcon had tried the middle and right pathways, both of them being fairly long only to lead to a grim dead-end. Now he was beginning to become desperate to escape the cave, and he ran down the final path: the one on the left.

It was the same typical tunnel as the other two, with no indicators to show it was different. Even if he expected Alexa to be evil enough to have all of the paths lead to dead-ends, he was already going down this path, so he was officially committed to it.

He rubbed his eyes, which soon grew sore as he stared into the darkness of the cave, and continued moving forward. He hadn't been here for too long, but like the last challenge he was in that involved going through a cavern, he got sick of it quickly.

Towards the end of his expedition in the left tunnel, his eyes widened, his jaw dropped and his body slumped with disbelief. Even if he had a hunch that it would be a dead-end, he simply couldn't handle seeing it right in front of his face. It was barely visible, but there was a rocky wall right in front of him.

Out of anger, the racer decided that the only way to take out his anger and betrayal on the cave would be to slam his fist against the wall with denial, yelling an audible "NO!" right before striking it.

When he did, however, he went right through it, which sent him tumbling over and onto the cold stone floor of the cave.

For a small moment, he was bemused at what had just happened, but after quick thinking, he realized that the wall was not a wall, but a curtain.

He looked back, the curtain swinging back and forth. Then he looked to the front only to find the real end of the tunnel.

Captain Falcon knew this had to be something good, so he ventured down and entered a large room. With a quick glance to his left, he saw the seven elevators, two had been taken. Next to them was the checkpoint flag alongside the water buckets.

"I'm finally out!" He grinned, rushing to the water bucket and refilling his flask. "Don't wanna drink too much though, the last thing I need is to go to the bathroom during a race..."

As he walked onto the elevator, it slowly began moving upwards, the last thing he saw was Samus Aran running into the room, which caused him to give an accomplished look. He suspected that Mario and Sonic were likely the two ahead of him, though he prayed that Sonic was still lost in the mountain's maze-like cave system...

* * *

Samus dashed into the room holding the second checkpoint and went for the buckets of water, making it her priority to refill her flask to the brim. Once that was done, she swiftly analyzed how many elevators were left before walking onto one, slowly being pulled up.

Wii Fit Trainer also managed to enter the room right as the bounty hunter stepped on the elevator, she got giddy when she saw the checkpoint flag, but also disgruntled over the fact that Papyrus had been proven right all along. With gusto, she filled her flask with water, stood on her elevator and sat down as it began to pull itself up.

For the next couple of minutes, the room was empty, the rustling of the elevator chains being the only audible thing in the room, barring cave ambiance.

After that small interval of time, Reigen entered the room, noticing that only two elevators remained. He obviously assumed that the only one still left in this labyrinth of a cave was Papyrus, and merrily filled up his half-empty flask with water from the buckets before standing on the elevator and resting...

* * *

At last, the long elevator wait was over, after a couple of minutes of waiting, of course. Mario and Papyrus were both out of their elevators and embraced the outside world once more. However, the moody Cloudblots were no longer there, and instead, the beautiful cascading sunlight had replaced it.

It was a bit confusing as to how all of the clouds disappeared at first, but they soon found out that they hadn't, as looking down to their left revealed that those clouds were beneath them, which just showed how high of an altitude they were at.

"FRESH AIR!" Papyrus breathed it in.

"You can-a breathe?" Mario asked, soaking it in.

"WELL, ERM..." Papyrus decided to change the subject. "THERE'S A RACE TO BE DONE, BYE-BYE PLUMBER!"

He began running past and away from the plumber, down the rocky dirt path of the mountain.

This was the final section of the race: nearly the top of the mountain, with cold temperatures and rocky terrain being the new obstacle that they had to face.

Wildlife such as birds or small critters were extinct from this portion of the island due to the conditions, though it still looked naturally beautiful to the two, who were racing one another around this final section.

Mario ended up catching to Papyrus before passing him, gesturing him a peace sign using his two fingers as he began jumping up the rocks, which would act as the bulk of this final section.

Papyrus groaned with despair. He had lots of trouble with these before, and now the whole section is going to be dedicated to it? He was beyond bummed out. This didn't stop him from using all of his energy to climb up as fast as possible... though even that was vastly outmatched by Mario...

* * *

Captain Falcon's elevator ride finally ended, and he took one long look at his surroundings. He could see that Mario and Papyrus were far away from him, climbing rocks at an altitude much higher than the one he was at now. Similarly to those two, he got confused when the moody weather disappeared before realizing that he was just above them.

The racer sprinted along the path and hopped onto the rocks, hooking them with his gloves as he pushed himself up high, clinging onto the next part of the terrain and repeating. Though he couldn't jump high enough to match Mario's pace in this section, he was quickly catching up to Papyrus due to his extra strength and endurance.

Papyrus noticed that he was gaining on him and quick, and his eyes almost flew out of his sockets as he clambered up the rocks slightly faster as one last yet futile effort to not have Falcon overtake him, but alas, the unfortunate had happened, and he was now third place in the race.

"W-WELL, FIFTY POINTS IS STILL PROMISING..." He uttered under his breath before raising his voice. "NO... IT'S MORE THAN PROMISING! IT'S FIFTY POINTS MORE THAN EVERYONE BEFORE ME."

His optimism picked up as his pace quickened, though his posture and mindset were much more relaxed and content, as he was happy with this outcome. Albeit he didn't do the math in his head of what his new total would be...

* * *

The next few to arise from the second section consisted of Samus Aran and Wii Fit Trainer, both took their time in the elevator to rest, and as a result, were very energized and ready to complete this final stretch.

Wii Fit Trainer still had her break from earlier payoff, as her pace was exactly on par with Samus's speed. The only disadvantage she had over her was that she was already behind Samus, and was unaware of her climbing ability. Heck, she didn't even know how well she was going to do in the oncoming climbing part of this section herself!

When that worrying moment came to be, Samus leaped from rock to rock, a little slower than what Wii Fit Trainer had expected - which was unrealistically fast in hindsight - but still competitively quick.

The fitness trainer was surprised to find out that her climbing was actually slightly quicker than Samus's, which made her believe that if she maintained this speed without any screw-ups, then she would hopefully overtake her! Even with this goal in her mind, she was still aware that, in order to earn any points from this challenge, she would have to overtake yet another person to seal third place. She suspected Captain Falcon or Mario.

Whilst they were beginning to become close together due to Wii Fit Trainer's superior stamina and skill in raw climbing, Samus scoffed. At first, it was assumed that the scoff was directed towards her for getting so close, but on a second glance, Wii Fit Trainer was shocked to see Papyrus far ahead yet coming up quickly. She had quickly forgotten that Papyrus managed to make that right turn earlier, and was ahead of her. Luckily for her, she seemed to be catching up to the skeleton with ease, which made the opportunity for third place a lot easier.

They had been climbing for a total of ten minutes or so when the two girls saw it: Mount Kapela's glorious peak. They wondered how they would get to that point, but Alexa did mention one final race up some steps to reach the finish line. It didn't matter just yet, they were still focused on overtaking the skeleton to get him out of the way...

* * *

A few minutes prior to them discovering the peak, Reigen exited the caves via the elevator and took in the view, though it wasn't long before he began sprinting faster than ever before, dreading but accepting the challenge of climbing up the steep and jagged rocks to supposedly reach the top. He definitely wasn't going to get in the top three, maybe not even the top five, but at least he would defeat Papyrus!

After a few minutes of running, he came to the rocks and jumped up, a very amateur and slightly unorthodox climbing routine occurred as he hopped up each rock and clung onto the next. He felt a little inferior to the others in a way, but he knew that his sharp wits and cool-headedness would be enough to score him a victory if he was lucky and smart enough about it. This was the only major obstacle in his way, as of now.

He didn't see anyone in the distance, maybe his eyes had tricked him into spotting Wii Fit Trainer during his climb but he wasn't too sure about that... things looked grim for his chances of getting fifth, though as he repeated in his head over and over again, he'll at least make it out alive, and soon as the Sole Survivor!

* * *

Captain Falcon was just about to lose sight of Mario when the plumber stopped his climbing and turned to the left, naturally causing him to also turn to look at what Jumpman was staring at, and that thing was the final stretch to victory. This wasn't a long section, but it definitely felt triumphant nonetheless...

A large stone staircase, made to look like it had eroded and became overgrown over time, even if they knew that Alexa likely got his employees to model that look a few days prior to this challenge.

On the very top of the staircase lay Alexa, holding and waving a large, white and black checkered flag in his two hands.

Mario glared with concentration before beginning his final run up the stairs, Captain Falcon pulled himself up the rocks, beginning to get tired from all of the workouts he had been presented with today, though he knew that he couldn't give up and let the Italian plumber get those extra points!

When he finally got to the bottom of the staircase, Mario was around a quarter to a third of the way to the top, and Falcon broke out into a sprint, much faster than Mario's, but it was likely going to be a very close match between the two...

* * *

Sonic, still stuck in the cave, had zipped around carelessly in an attempt to find the exit. It was so frustrating, and without seeing another single soul there, he felt like he was going to lose the whole thing, which would be a very pathetic way to go out.

However, right before all hope was lost, the hedgehog found the same curtain dead-end Captain Falcon had found earlier, and the hedgehog was bright enough to realize that something felt off about the supposed "wall" of the cave, causing him to push through it and discover that it was a curtain.

"Knew it!" He smirked, dashing through to the end of this hidden tunnel before smiling at the checkpoint and elevators, albeit his smile was killed by the fact that only one elevator remained...

"It can't be too late, right?!" He asked himself as he dashed into the elevator, not bothering to refill his mostly-empty flask.

When discovering how slow the elevator traveled upwards, Sonic decided to do a more risky yet rewarding maneuver, which was wall-jumping up the elevator shaft's walls to reach the top quicker...

"I'm not going to be last!" He promised to himself as he wall-jumped up with pure will-power bustling in his body...

* * *

Wii Fit Trainer beamed brightly as she finally accomplished her goals, which was overtaking Samus and Papyrus. All she had to do now was keep that lead and get third place, which would be a difficult task. Not to mention her body was beginning to ache from all of the climbing.

She gazed upwards at the bright sky as her eyes caught the stone stairs: the final stretch. It was a relief and also a feeling of excitement, as she was sick of Mount Kapela and everything about it, from the moody mountainside she scaled, to the grim and painfully dark tunnels, to the tiring and exhausting high-altitude peak she was climbing.

Samus noticed the steps not too long after, and Papyrus, not too far behind, was disappointed by seeing the exit, which meant that his opportunity to overtake them was gone. At least he beat the two before him, right?

Following another minute or so of climbing, the fitness trainer reached the bottom of the steps, observing Captain Falcon and Mario who were nearly to the top up ahead...

* * *

Mario was slightly ahead of Captain Falcon by now, but the racer continued to pick up the pace in order to beat Mario and claim first place for himself. The plumber wouldn't let up, however, as he put his absolute all into jumping up the stairs to keep his momentum.

He panicked as the final ten steps had them head-to-head, it was all down to this...

Captain Falcon gritted his teeth before giving a warcry as he leaped up the stairs faster than ever before, causing him to overtake Mario.

However, his stamina quickly drained at the last second, which slowed him down just enough so Mario could retake his position and clear the final few steps with one perfectly timed jump.

Mario crossed the finish line first, with Captain Falcon barely coming second.

"MARIO WINS THE WHOLE CHALLENGE ALONGSIDE ONE-HUNDRED AND FIFTY POINTS!" Alexa applauded, his staff joining in as the plumber cheers. "CAPTAIN FALCON WINS SECOND PLACE AND ONE-HUNDRED POINTS AS A RESULT!" He added as Falcon grumbled to himself.

The plumber cheered over his own success, but also decided to hop over to Captain Falcon, holding out his hand to show his sportsmanship. "That was-a close one, Falcon!"

Despite his bitterness towards his lost, he still cracked a grin before energetically and powerfully latching onto his foe's hand, shaking it with vigor.

After the handshake, they gazed down only to see Samus and Wii Fit Trainer around a quarter of the way up the stairs, Papyrus was also clambering up to the bottom of the stairs in the distance.

Wii Fit Trainer attempted to keep her lead, but she severely underestimated Samus and her durability, as the bounty hunter quickly overtook her and kept taking the lead further and further away until Wii Fit Trainer gave up on trying to secure third place.

It was a hard to swallow pill, but her chances of receiving ANY points were null.

Papyrus followed after them, using his hands and legs to travel up the stairs, like a crawl, and although he was a little slow, it was a lot less risky approach as the chance of tripping in that formation was very low.

* * *

Reigen caught a glimpse of Papyrus half-crawling up the final staircase, and he was beyond shocked. Who could possibly catch up to him? He decided to list off those who definitely wouldn't be behind him: Sonic, and only Sonic. The good thing was, whoever was behind him would probably be unable to catch up to him, making his safety almost guaranteed.

He finally reached the bottom of the stairs and gazed at the top to see Alexa cheering for the neutral Samus and the joyous Wii Fit Trainer alongside Mario and Captain Falcon. This meant one thing: he had to get up the stairs and quick, because Sonic was likely still trapped in those tunnels...

The businessman made a break for it, Papyrus was almost up the stairs at this point, and he was being cheered on by the others.

"You think Sonic's going to overtake Reigen last second?" Captain Falcon nudged Mario's arm.

"He's-a certainly fast," the plumber stated before slowly shaking his head. "But when I-a looked around, I didn't see him anywhere!"

This alibi caused him and Wii Fit Trainer to silently cheer, their biggest threat was now gone, meaning that it was going to be smooth-ish sailing from this point.

Papyrus finally reached the top of the stairs, huffing and puffing despite not having a respiratory system in any way, shape or form.

"I DID IT, FIFTH PLACE!" He jumped up and down joyously.

"Good-a job," congratulated Mario.

"Nothing to write home about since it's a pretty bad score, but at least you're safe!" Captain Falcon grinned, patting his shoulder.

Alexa clapped. "Good job, Papyrus!" He said. "HOWEVER, out of Reigen Arataka and Sonic the Hedgehog, who will be safe, and WHO will be eliminated?!"

At this point, Reigen was almost half-way up the stairs, still no sign of Sonic whatsoever.

"A-am I going to win this?" He thought to himself.

He then hit halfway, then was at the final third, then the final quarter, then the final fifth and sixth, he was getting incredibly close to the end...

* * *

Sonic blasted out of the elevator shaft and zoomed through the path, climbing and hopping from rock to rock as within a few seconds he caught a glimpse of the peak of the mountain, with Reigen almost to the top.

"I gotta get there, and quick!" He exclaimed loudly, zipping up the rocks even faster than before.

The survivors who had already won were spectating the hedgehog, some secretly cheering for him whilst others were cheering for Reigen.

Reigen wasn't aware of Sonic's arrival, and only ten steps remained. Weakly, he climbed up the stairs, a gleam of hope in his eyes and a smile appearing.

Now only eight steps remained, and with each of these steps he grew more and more confident...

Whilst he thought about winning, Sonic finally showed up at the bottom of the staircase and got into a position to speed up the stairs.

"Here we..." He held his breath and closed his eyes, momentarily focusing... he then shot his eyes back open, releasing his breath and yelling. "GO!"

Before Reigen could even hear Sonic's cry in the distance, the hedgehog dashed right in front of him and stood on the stair in front, wagging his finger.

"No hard feelings, bud," he said, before jumping up and boosting into the finish line.

"Wha..." His eyes widened. The first emotion that came was shock, as he wasn't aware of how quick Sonic was, to have him arrive before his words were something he never thought was possible, especially from a hedgehog. Next was annoyance, being taunted last second by someone who was infinitely more skillful than him in physical challenges. The final emotion was then dread, as the fact that he lost the entire show kicked in...

"SONIC CLAIMS THE LAST SPOT!" Alexa announced. "Which means... Arataka Reigen has been eliminated from Survivor Crossover..."

Reigen sighed, his entire game was over in the blink of an eye, and he finished climbing the last few steps, his shoulders slightly slumped.

"Well, good game," he admitted. "I didn't think my elimination would be because of this, but I had a good run. There's always next time!"

"Next time indeed," Alexa nodded. "Reigen, you may have lost this challenge, but just know that you were a fierce competitor. You had a very down-to-Earth personality that is hard to come across, and although you had your hiccups, you attempted to be strategic, and you may have been able to get to the Finale if you managed to beat Sonic. We'll all remember you as the Lucky Seventh Place, and don't forget that you're going to become a Jury member!"

Arataka gave a slightly smug grin. "You better! I did a lot better than all of those before me, after all."

Suddenly, a helicopter that had been resting on the peak of Mount Kapela began humming, the blades beginning to spin rapidly.

"There's our ride, survivors!" Alexa whistled, beckoning them onto the helicopter.

"W-what about me?!" Reigen asked, raising his eyebrow offendedly.

The host gave a chuckle. "You'll be escorted down the mountain by some staff before being taken away via the boat at the bottom. Don't worry, scaling down this mountain isn't as painful as scaling up it!"

"Still is painful..." He groaned. "Well, if that's what needs to be done, sure."

"Goodbye Reigen!" Wii Fit Trainer waved from the helicopter.

Sonic stuck his thumb up at him before waving to him.

The other survivors decided to show him some level of sportsmanship, whether it be a wave or a "goodbye!"

"WAIT!" Papyrus yelled as the helicopter began to take off. "REIGEN, WILL I BE ELIMINATED NEXT?!"

"Huh?! I can't hear you!" Reigen yelled back, looking confused.

The skeleton spoke up, this time much louder. "I SAID: WILL I BE ELIMINATED NEXT?!"

Reigen raised an eyebrow as the helicopter turned off of the peak and into the sky. "I don't know what you're saying! Anyway, bye everyone!"

They all shot one last goodbye as Papyrus sat down, disgruntled at the lack of an answer.

As the helicopter lowered into the clouds and disappeared from sight, Reigen shook his head playfully. "Heh, I knew exactly what he was saying all along..."

He began walking down the mountain, alongside a couple of staff to help guide him...

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 28**

Albeit it was no longer taking place for tonight, Alexa crept down the pathway and entered the area, all of the torches had been blown out, aside from the continuously lit torches of the survivors, shoved at the back.

Alexa walked over to these torches and grabbed Reigen's from its stand, snuffing it and hearing the gentle hiss as the flame died down.

"Only six left to go..." He said to himself, smirking...

* * *

**Arataka Reigen's last words:** "Survivor was a workout, and I didn't bother spoiling to myself on who was going to win as a Psychic, because that would've been boring! Good to know I made it far, though deep down I knew that, next to a hedgehog faster than sound or a plump Italian that's infinitely more athletic than I am, I never stood a chance at winning..."

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Wario. (USED)

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon. (USED)

Idol of Mirroring - Wii Fit Trainer.

Idol of Curses - Samus. (USED - CURSE HAS WORN OFF)

The Revival Idol - Mario. (USED)

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

Laau Haupa (Yellow Team)

\- Mario

\- Papyrus

\- Samus Aran

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Captain Falcon

\- Sonic

* * *

Make sure to check out the character poll on my profile page to see who you want returning for Survivor Crossover 2! ^_^


	20. Episode 15 - Familiar Frenzy!

Episode 15: Familiar Frenzy!

**Laau Haupa: Day 29**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Wii Fit Trainer - Captain Falcon - Sonic

It had been around sixteen hours since Arataka Reigen's official elimination back at Mount Kapela. One of the survivors - that being Wii Fit Trainer - managed to wake up early so she could get the others up in case of the still-present dull sky not providing them with the sunlight necessary for them to naturally wake up.

Now three people slept in each hut: Mario, Falcon, and Samus in one, and Papyrus, Wii Fit, and Sonic in the other. Reigen slept with the latter group initially, though due to his sudden elimination, this obviously wasn't going to happen anymore.

Samus walked over to the large Leaderboard screen and knelt beside it, her eyes fixated on the scores:

*SAFE HAVEN*

SAMUS ARAN - 555

MARIO - 542

WII FIT TRAINER - 441

*DANGER ZONE*

CAPTAIN FALCON - 414

SONIC - 323

PAPYRUS - 254

She grinned at her own score with pride. Her lead may have shortened, but considering the finale was in a couple of days, she only had one challenge to really worry about, at least for now. This challenge puzzled her, however, as she pondered what could possibly be more climatic than climbing the most famous islands in the Tropics? Heck, how could Alexa make something more climatic without leaving this island? She didn't bother thinking about it for too long, but it certainly was strange.

Suddenly, the spunky plumber, as well as her technical rival in the grand scheme of things due to their points, Mario, jumped next to her and sat down.

"There's only around half the people in this tribe than there was when the merge first-a began!" He remarked. "That's-a crazy."

"Well considering it's a show about people getting eliminated one by one until a certain point, that point being the finale, it doesn't seem too 'crazy' to think about." Samus adjusted her ponytail as the plumber simply groaned at her response.

"You-a know what I mean, right?" He rhetorically asked. "It's-a hard to imagine that there was-a double the amount of people here at one point!"

Samus smirked. "They're all annoyingly memorable, I can imagine that pretty easy."

"Well maybe it's-a just me..." He stated. "Hey, remember when you were-a close to eliminating us?"

"Huh?" She asked, slightly clueless.

Mario decided to elaborate. "Back in the beginning of the competition, where me, Peter, Falcon, and-a Gordon all formed a team against yours! You-a managed to eliminate Peter but luckily the teams changed. I probably wouldn't be here otherwise..."

"Well you are a threat, obviously, but there's nothing I can really do to eliminate you or anyone else I deem a threat other than joining those who are already considering you," explained Samus. "No hard feelings."

"No, no I-a get it! That's-a big prize money, and that hotel stay seems like one-of-a-kind too!" He exclaimed. "I can just imagine staying there, being treated like a king by-a everyone there!"

Samus gave a slightly smug grunt. "Don't get too cocky, this Finale doesn't guarantee victory, and even if it did, you aren't at that point yet."

"Well I got the lead to-a stay safe," he justified his cockiness.

"Perhaps... though will this Finale even involve points?" She questioned rhetorically. "All of my hard work to stay safe may just be put to shame in this Finale."

Sonic walked up to them, raising an eyebrow. "What are you two talking about?"

"The Finale!" Mario responded boldly. "Y'know, the final part of-a this competition?"

"Oh, right, well if it has something to do with those Jury members, and it involves five of us..." He scratched his cheek. "I can't really think of many possibilities. Maybe the jury will vote for one of us five? It fits what we've been doing since this show began, but it seems like ties could form easily."

Samus nodded. "Agreed, maybe that is the case, but eliminations still aren't done. The Finale could be a continuous gauntlet that gradually eliminates all of us until there are only a couple left, then they will be voted for by the jury."

"That's another possibility," agreed Sonic. "But I wouldn't bet on any of these scenarios, considering Alexa's an unpredictable guy."

"True, but it's-a fun to think about it, in a way," confessed Mario.

"It's so suspenseful that I don't wanna think about it!" Sonic said. "Anyway, what's the situation with food?"

Mario pointed behind himself. "The others are currently at the beach getting fish!"

The hedgehog felt a little stupid asking the question. "Yeah well, that's pretty obvious in hindsight."

He took another gaze around the tribe, reassuring himself that nobody else was around, right before huddling closer to the two and speaking a little quieter. "Do any of you have plans for who to eliminate?"

"Not currently," she said. "Though I don't mind if anyone here goes off, at this point. Maybe Captain Falcon seems the most threatening since he has the strength, speed, and athletics that could best any of us, though at the same time the same could be said for you two, and even me. I just feel like Falcon is the one with something up his sleeve..."

"What about Wii Fit Trainer? She would be a good candidate for elimination, right?" Asked Sonic. "After all, doesn't she have that idol?"

Mario gasped. "Oh yeah! I-a forgot about the idol. Looked like a mirror, right?"

"Something to do with reflecting votes, judging by its shape," theorized Samus. "I actually did forget about that idol, believe it or not, so good thing you reminded me. Maybe she IS a bigger threat than Falcon."

"Well, I would rather vote someone based off their level of threat being evident through an idol over a hunch," Sonic shrugged.

Whilst they were coming to a conclusion on who to vote, Mario stopped them both. "Wait-wait-wait! Tomorrow will be-a the last Tribal Council before the Finale, right?"

"Yeah, so what?" Sonic raised his eyebrow.

"So that would probably be her last opportunity to-a use it, right?" Mario rhetorically questioned. "Meaning that she would probably use it on herself. It'd probably be impossible to-a vote her off in that case!"

The hedgehog was stumped, as Mario had a very good point.

"This probably means that Falcon is going to be our best bet," Samus stated. "Papyrus would be easy to deal with in this Finale, and Wii Fit Trainer has her aforementioned idol. I also don't see any of us accusing one another of being the biggest threat going too well, either."

Mario nodded, especially to her last statement, as Sonic folded his arms. "Well, Falcon it is!"

As they came to their conclusion, the three they had been discussing were celebrating.

"FIVE FISH! ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE WHO NEEDS IT!" Papyrus cheered. "AND ONLY AFTER AN HOUR!"

"Man, our luck with fish has been awesome lately! There's always enough fish for everyone, and with Papyrus not counting as a portion, that's even MORE food that we can split between those who actually do need to eat in order to survive! There have even been points where I felt a little full after a meal, which isn't something I expect on an island with limited rations, lemme tell ya..." - Captain Falcon.

"Whoa whoa whoa, don't take my estimate as fact or anything." Captain Falcon calmed him down. "For all we know, we could've been out here for two hours!"

"Definitely didn't feel long, which is weird considering that fishing is boring," Wii Fit Trainer admitted. "It's tedious, too."

Papyrus placed his hand on his jaw, stroking it. "SO... GOING BY THE LOGIC OF TIME SLOWING DOWN THROUGH BORING ACTIVITIES, WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT NOT MUCH TIME HAS PASSED AT ALL! MAYBE WE'VE ONLY BEEN FISHING FOR A FEW MINUTES..."

"Time slows down, but not to that extent!" She corrected worriedly.

"Yeah, feels like we've been here for a couple of hours but it's probably only been one," said Falcon. "Anyway, we should probably be getting back now."

Wii Fit Trainer grabbed the clay pot, stuffed with large juicy fish, and began walking back with him, Papyrus right behind.

"Samus, Sonic, and Mario are going to be happy to see all of this food!" The racer licked his lips. "I know I am."

Papyrus scoffed. "WELL, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPIER IF THEY KEPT ME AS THE COOK FOR THE FISH! NOW I'VE BEEN REDUCED TO COOKING ONLY THE RICE AND BEANS, WHICH IS BORING AND DISTASTEFUL!"

"In all fairness, you aren't very good at cooking fish," said Captain Falcon. "You almost gave me food poisoning that would have counted me out of the show! Good thing those stomach cramps were only for two hours..."

"W-WELL YOUR STOMACH CANNOT HANDLE THE REFINED MEALS THAT I PUT OUT!" He said, taking great offense to his comment.

In an attempt to stop the brewing anger inside of Papyrus, Wii Fit Trainer chimed in to save Falcon's skin. "Well, we both enjoy your rice and beans a lot! Maybe Samus just wanted to cook for herself because she also has a passion for it?"

The lie, whilst unable to work on anyone else, worked surprisingly well on the skeleton, who gasped. "OH! WELL, IN THAT CASE, SHE MAY HAVE THAT SPOT WITHOUT THE GREAT PAPYRUS'S GRUDGE."

In a new, cheery mood, he walked in front of the two with a spring in his step, ready to greet the other three.

After five more minutes of boring walking with nothing other than small-talk taking place, they finally escaped the silent and boring island forest and entered their tribe at the Rockies.

The other three were pleased to see that there was enough fish for everyone, and Papyrus got to work on cooking the rice and beans immediately. Samus also got to work on the fish.

Wii Fit Trainer thought that her little white lie to Papyrus would lay to rest for the rest of the competition, but that definitely wouldn't be the case.

Papyrus leaned over to Samus, who was cooking the fish, and gawked.

"THAT IS INCREDIBLE COOKING! IT'S PERFECTLY COOKED WITHOUT BEING TOO RAW OR TOO BURNT. YOUR PASSION FOR COOKING MUST BE EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH!" He proudly stated.

She gave a little grin to try and act nice to Papyrus, as she couldn't be bothered to act rude, though deep down, him paying such attention was awkward and annoying to her.

"Thank you, but these are basic cooking skills. No passion required," she said almost coldly, but not cold enough for Papyrus to get the memo, leading the skeleton to continue his pursuit of learning about her apparent cooking passion.

He gave a little forced chortle. "GAHA! YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SHY ABOUT YOUR LOVE FOR FOOD AND COOKING TO THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"

"You're the last person who I'd expect to judge me, so when I say I do not have a passion, I do NOT have a passion," she repeated, this time far more aggressive.

"V-VERY WELL..." He accepted, sweating profusely at her venomous words.

"I KNOW SHE'S HIDING HER LOVE FOR COOKING IN THERE! I JUST HAVE TO BREAK AWAY HER SPIKY ARMOUR AND SOON WE'LL BE SHARING OUR PASSION FOR COOKING, LIKE GORDON! BUT SHE IS QUITE SCARY, SO FINDING A WAY TO MAKE HER COME OUT ABOUT SUCH A THING SHALL BE ONE TRICKY FEAT, BUT THAT'S NO FEAT AT ALL FOR ME!" - Papyrus.

After, they finished off cooking the food and served it to their tribe. It was a pretty delicious meal, with Papyrus's rice and beans still upholding their taste due to Gordon's techniques being burnt into the mind of Papyrus, and with the fish cooked by Samus tasting pretty great too. None of it was exceptional, and to be frank, they were getting more than tired of eating the same food, but it was serviceable, and wasn't a painful experience to eat, either.

They spent some more time talking or wandering around the island before heading off to supposedly the final Roulette of the competition...

* * *

**Roulette: Day 29**

The six survivors walked onto the beach, only six boxes now remained.

Although impossible to put their finger on, they all noticed a change in tone of today's Roulette. Was it the Cloudblots still casting a dark and gloomy atmosphere? Was it just the fact that this would likely be the last Roulette of the show? Maybe they just felt suspense because that's what happens when you're only a couple of days away from a Finale you know nothing about. Whatever it was, all survivors noticed it.

Alexa soon came out, grinning.

"Well survivors, this is the last Roulette before the show's finale!" He wagged his finger. "Which means that this will be the last Roulette. Period."

The announcement didn't come as much of a shock to the survivors, as they already pieced that fact together.

He continued, "In front of you are six boxes, labeled from A to F. As usual, the one with the most points will choose first. This Roulette will have a lot of points to gain from it, too! As well as a lot of points to lose!"

"Oh great, it's not a Roulette without luck ruining your hard-earned total," spat Wii Fit Trainer.

"That's what a Roulette is all about, baby!" Alexa clasped his hands together before rubbing them. "Now, Samus will be the first one to select her box!"

Samus decided to choose Box C.

Mario chose Box D.

Wii Fit Trainer chose Box A.

Captain Falcon chose Box F.

Sonic chose Box E.

And lastly, Papyrus chose Box B.

Upon receiving the cue from Alexa, the survivors opened their boxes individually:

Samus - -50

Mario - 100

Wii Fit Trainer - -150

Captain Falcon - 50

Sonic - -100

Papyrus - 30% Multiplier

"YES! A POINT MULTIPLIER!" Papyrus fixed his cape before posing.

Sonic groaned at his score. He had gone from Hero to Zero in almost no time at all, and this Roulette wasn't helping.

Whilst he was upset with his score, Mario was especially prideful to have gotten one-hundred points, which meant that he was now in the lead and by a long-shot!

Samus hated her score, though she knew that she wouldn't drop out of the Safe Haven entirely thanks to Wii Fit Trainer losing a lot more points.

"Survivors! I will now add these points to your total!" Announced Alexa.

* * *

*SAFE HAVEN*

MARIO - 642

SAMUS ARAN - 505

CAPTAIN FALCON - 464

*DANGER ZONE*

PAPYRUS - 330

WII FIT TRAINER - 291

SONIC - 223

* * *

"I'm last?!" Sonic's jaw dropped. "This Roulette is lame!"

"I'M NOT LAST?!" In contrast, Papyrus's jaw dropped, though this time it was a much more positive feeling. "THANK YOU, ROULETTE! REIGEN WAS TRULY RIGHT ABOUT ME NOT BEING LAST FOR THE NEXT TRIBAL COUNCIL!"

"Are you still going to believe him?" Wii Fit Trainer placed her hands on her hips. "He's full of himself for crying out loud!"

In response, he snickered under his breath. "THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO BELIEVE, BUT EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE SAYING OTHERWISE MRS. FITNESS!"

Alexa then interrupted the brewing tension by finishing the Roulette. "Well survivors, this has been the last Roulette of the show! For some of you, it put you into awful situations, but for others, it helped prevent you from falling into those awful situations! That's not the point, however, the point is that if you managed to get to this point despite luck trying to squander your chances of victory, then you're one tough survivor! Now get yourselves some rest, you'll need it as preparation for tomorrow..."

The survivors, for the last time, left the Roulette, leaving Alexa and his staff team to clean up the boxes...

**Challenge: Day 30**

* * *

Today would mark the final challenge the survivors would have to face before the Finale. The sky was now clearing up, still cloudy but with spells of light shining through, causing the atmosphere to be somewhat brighter than it was before.

"So, what do you think today's challenge is going to be?" Sonic asked, strolling through the forest with the others, making their way to the beach.

Captain Falcon shrugged. "Beats me! Nothing can get more intense than a trek up a giant mountain, after all."

"I believe something is up Alexa's sleeve, an idea for a challenge that may be more intense than Mount Kapela, even if it doesn't involve leaving the island," Wii Fit Trainer theorized. "I wish I had an idea of what that may be..."

Mario focused his vision and saw that the coast was up ahead. "Well, no point in-a guessing now, because I see the beach!"

"Do you see anything?" Asked Falcon.

The plumber placed his hand above his eyes and leaned his head forward.

He locked onto the first thing he could see, and that thing caused him to bellow with disbelief out loud. "Whaaaa?!" The plumber cried, freezing.

"Jeez, now I'm scared to look..." Sonic sniggered under his breath as he looked through the gap himself. "WHOA?!"

Captain Falcon placed his hands on his hips. "You guys can see? My head is still leveled with the tree branches!"

Out of curiosity, he and the other taller members of the tribe picked up their pace, running out of the forest.

When they finally came out onto the same-old beach, they locked eyes with the things that had caused Mario and Sonic to freeze up and become speechless, and they definitely could see why their reactions were that way.

Fifteen people, discluding the adjacent Alexa, stood on the beach in a cluster. These weren't random people, either. These people were the fourteen previously eliminated survivors: Dr. Eggman, Gruntilda Winkybunion, Peter Griffin, Soldier, Wario, Mr. Krabs, Geoffrey Butler, Squidward Tentacles, Gordon Ramsay, Johnny Bravo, Josuke Higashikata, King Dedede, Little Mac and Arataka Reigen.

"The looks on your faces are priceless!" Said Alexa, cracking up. "Even Samus looks to be in shock!"

"It appears that some of them have dreadful faces too. Just look at Sonic's face." Geoffrey drew attention to the hedgehog's miserable face.

"That's because that imbecile hedgehog thought he wouldn't receive any karma for screwing me up and ruining my chances of winning this competition!" Eggman explained. "I may not like this stupid competition, to the point where I even skipped the chance to come back as I was busy working on something, but that doesn't mean that I won't take a few hours from my day just to make you suffer, you hedgehog!"

Sonic's miserable face soon turned back into his cocky one. "Nope, I'm more upset for Alexa, who probably had to wrangle you over here with a leash! Knowing you, I bet you exploded with your elimination."

"I-I DID NOT!" The scientist stomped his feet angrily.

"He did, in all fairness," Gordon cracked a small grin. "Like a bloody child."

Gruntilda sniggered at Eggman's embarrassment. "Crying like a baby over a game show? Alexa may have invested his time into low-budget shambles, but that's no excuse to go squawking like a crow!"

"Your reaction to elimination wasn't that good either, y'know?" Tutted Josuke.

"Silence, fool! Or you shall go bathing in the Earth's pool!" She threatened.

"Earth's pool?" He raised an eyebrow.

"SHE MEANS THE OCEAN, MAGGOT!" Insulted Soldier. "ANY PERSON WITH THREE BRAINCELLS CAN FIGURE THAT OUT, SUCH AS ME!"

Whilst the loud arguing and/or conversation was taking place, Johnny simply gave a casual point to Captain Falcon and smiled innocently.

Alexa then calmed down the group. "Settle down fellas, we don't wanna be here all day!"

The six survivors were spaced out around the cluster of previously eliminated contestants.

"Err, why are we positioned like this?" Asked Wii Fit Trainer.

"I second that question, you haven't even told us about this challenge," Reigen revealed. "Only that we'll have something to do with this challenge."

"PSSSH, I was-a paid money for this, so I don't-a care!" Wario laughed.

Dedede snarled. "You got paid?! I didn't hear nothin' about being paid!"

Peter then silenced them both. "Sssh, he's about to explain the friggin' challenge you guys!"

"You're all already beginning to get on my nerves again..." Squidward muttered under his breath.

Mr. Krabs managed to catch most of his quiet remark. "Mister Squidward! Ya better not be includin' me in that, or your pay will be in the minuses, boy..."

Even though more loud talking ensued once more, Alexa didn't bother getting annoyed further, instead, he just decided to whistle, getting their attention. "Now, if you allow me to explain, this challenge is going to feature ALMOST all of the previously eliminated survivors! You will all pick two people from this group of eliminees to join you for this final challenge. You will pick one before the next person gets to pick, and we'll keep going until there are six teams of three. The order of who gets to pick will be decided by whoever has the most points! Make sure to pick people who you know will help you out for this challenge because you'll need a lot of manpower!"

Mario, being the one with the most points, was the first one to pick a teammate to help aid him in this challenge.

"Hmm..." The plumber gazed at his choices for a couple of seconds before pointing towards Gordon. "You!"

"Me?" Checked Gordon. "Well then, good thing I'm not going to be the last one picked."

He walked over to Mario, joining his team.

The next one to choose was Samus, and she didn't have any close relationships, or even regular relationships with any of the choices, which led her to go for a more strategic approach...

"Josuke, join my team," she beckoned him over.

Papyrus gawked with surprise as one of his potential teammates got robbed from him. Little Mac looked pretty upset over it too, but Josuke surprisingly showed no stress over being picked by Samus.

"Alright then," he nodded, joining her team.

Next was Captain Falcon, who decided to take the risky approach of putting Johnny onto his team. "Johnny, you're up!"

"Aww right," he strutted over to Falcon, cockily waving to the others who hadn't been picked.

"Johnny of all people? Even I feel a little offended over that one..." Geoffrey admitted.

Papyrus was the fourth to pick a teammate for this unknown challenge, and as expected from everyone else, his finger shot towards Little Mac.

"MAC!" He exclaimed. "WE MAY NOT HAVE JOSUKE, BUT WE CAN STILL WIN THIS!"

"Alright, thanks a lot!" Little Mac firmly gripped his bicep in a subtle attempt to show off to the others before joining Papyrus's team.

Wii Fit Trainer was the next one to pick her team member, and she had a small idea of who to choose. She quickly went over every survivor individually before deciding which ones she wanted on her team.

"Geoffrey!" She announced, waving at him.

Geoffrey walked over, simply happy not to be one of the last. "Thank you very much, madam. I'll make sure to serve you in this challenge as best I can."

The final one to pick their first teammate was Sonic, and he noticed that most people had already chosen the stronger or more sane competitors, leaving him to choose one for himself.

"I've barely seen you in action, squid guy." He pointed to him. "Join my team!"

"Finally, it's about time somebody recognized my skill!" Squidward grinned smugly as he walked over.

Mr. Krabs rolled his eyes. "Mister Squidward, 'yer a cashier! Don't be so full of it..."

The squid ignored his remark as he joined Sonic's team.

Alexa then spoke up. "Everyone will now pick their second teammate, starting with Mario!"

"I have-a vague memories of you doing well in challenges, Soldier," Mario noticed. "Maybe you'll be a good pick for the team!"

Soldier began cackling. "MAYBE?! You underestimate the power of an AMERICAN soldier, maggot! Nothing like a pansy French soldier or one of those loud-mouthed Russian soldiers!"

Mario gulped as he waved both of his hands apologetically. "I didn't mean it like-a that!"

Gordon sighed. "Well done, you picked a complete nutter."

Next, Samus had to choose her second teammate to help her alongside Josuke, and she eyed each one, a little stumped on who to choose.

Eventually, she decided to settle on Eggman. "You seem incredibly intelligent though childish, I feel like having skill, strength and intelligence covered will be our best bet for this challenge."

"Of course, the one who almost helped me out on the first-ever night of elimination is also the same one who recognizes my genius!" Eggman walked over with gusto, Sonic secretly dreading having to compete against him.

Captain Falcon had to pick from the final six survivors remaining, and fortunately, his mind was already made up.

"Peter, I don't know how good you really are, but considering we were friends before your elimination, I trust you enough to help me win this!" He stated with confidence.

Due to this compliment, Peter's face grew slightly more serious. "Oh don't you worry! I'm gonna kick more ass than, well, anyone else here!"

"A regular old human picked over a force to be reckoned with such as me?" Dedede grew angry. "That ain't right!"

Papyrus was given the opportunity to choose the next person, and he had a struggle picking somebody himself.

"HMM... MAYBE I'LL PICK Y-... WAIT NO, LITTLE MAC ISN'T VERY FOND YOU, SO I'LL PICK, ERR... YOU!" He pointed to Dedede. "THE ROYAL PENGUIN!"

Dedede grinned. "You're finally givin' me some action!"

"I don't like Dedede either but whatever," Little Mac groaned.

"Well too bad!" He roared with laughter.

Only four more picks remained: Gruntilda, Wario, Krabs, and Reigen.

Wii Fit Trainer had no problems picking from the four, as she immediately pointed to Reigen. "I'll pick you!"

"The fact that I nearly wasn't picked is a little alarming, considering how far I got in this show..." Reigen muttered under his breath before speaking up. "Good on you for picking me, Wii Fit!"

Before Sonic was given the cue to choose his final team member, Mr. Krabs tapped the shoulder of Alexa. "Say, err, what happens to the two who ain't picked by this furry blue lad?"

"Simple!" He responded. "You spectate."

"S-SPECTATE? THAT AIN'T GONNA GET ME FAME!" Eugene bellowed before quivering with fear. "Please pick me..."

The hedgehog was finally given his cue to choose, and without a second thought, his finger trailed over to the desperate crab. "You're a lot better than the other two choices, I guess."

"GAHA! Take that, Wario!" He cockily spat, walking over to Sonic.

"Whaaa? I was-a paid just to stand around?" Wario groaned.

Gruntilda cackled. "That just may be! Without Gruntilda they'll lose, just see."

"I wasn't talking to-a you, weirdo." He bitterly turned away from her.

Alexa looked at the teams. "Pretty good groups of three we got here! Now we can finally get down to the challenge."

The survivors then silently watched as he dumped a pile of chains onto the floor in front of him.

"This challenge will be pretty annoying, I'll tell ya that!" He snickered under his breath before continuing. "You alongside your two other team members will be chained up to one another, meaning that you will all have to coordinate your movements if you want to even stand up! The teams will then collect two keys, one of these keys will be located in the old tribe of Haupia, and the other key will be located in the old tribe of Laau Pama. Once you gather both keys, you will use them to unlock your chain, and the first one to wrap their chain around this pole over here will win the challenge. First place will receive five-hundred points, second place will receive four-hundred, third place will receive three-hundred, fourth place will receive two-hundred, fifth place will receive one-hundred, and the team in last place will receive nothing!"

He pointed to the tall, rough wooden beam behind him. No survivors were pleased over this challenge idea at all.

"What's in it for us?" Dedede folded his arms. "That Wario guy got paid for this!"

Mr. Krabs folded his claws. "Yeah! What's 'yer plan?"

Alexa smirked. "Well, I was quite ambiguous when I said I was going to pay him, but now's the time to spill the beans: if you help your teammate get first place, then you will be rewarded handsomely with one-thousand dollars!"

"ONE-THOUSAND?!" His jaw dropped. "I NEED THAT MONEY!"

"He sounds more riled up over a thousand than he did with a million," noticed Reigen.

Wario grumbled. "So I don't get a shot at the money because none of-a these idiots picked me?!"

"To put it simply, yes!" He revealed, his slightly sadistic smile slowly fading as Wario grew angrier and angrier by the second. "M-moving on! I'll be attaching these chains to you."

He grabbed one of the chains with both hands and moved over to the first group he saw. The chain was completely made of steel and had three ankle bracelets, one on each end and one in the middle of the chain. He wrapped the bracelets around their feet, ankles, or legs depending on their build before locking them. It was a miracle that all of them fit decently well on everyone.

Afterward, he lined all six groups into one neat line before checking that each one was on properly. There were no problems, so he stood in front of them boldly.

"Alright survivors! Let's get things started," said Alexa. "On the count of three, you'll all rush to get those keys! The order you get them doesn't matter, and the only rule you need to know is to NOT break the chains or the bracelets, capiche?"

"Sounds good to-a me!" Mario smiled.

He began counting, this was it, the final challenge, the final obstacle in their path before they could get to the hyped-up finale of the show, all they had to do was get a good score and safety would be guaranteed...

"Three..."

"Two..."

"ONE!" Alexa exclaimed, whistling using his fingers. "GO GO GO!"

Awkwardly, all of the groups began limping out across the beach, and it was a sight to see, and a hilarious one at that.

* * *

Mario's team: Mario, Gordon, and Soldier, all did decently well at coordinating and walking at the same time. One slight screwup in their walking could cause them to lose balance. They huddled together and slowly but surely made it across their beach. They weren't the fastest, but they were one of the more durable groups, which was a surprise considering Soldier was apart of it. They planned to head to Laau Pama first.

Samus's team: Samus, Josuke, and Eggman were the fastest team out of them all. Samus led the way, and her two teammates were decent at following her pace, though Eggman nearly tripped over a few times, thinking about what he would do when he ever came head-to-head with Sonic later in the challenge. They planned to head to Haupia first.

Captain Falcon's team: Falcon, Johnny, and Peter, were a huge contrast to the first two, constantly tripping up and traveling slowly. Johnny's inability to follow the basic coordinations, Peter's awful ability to keep balance and Falcon's impatience with the two not only caused him to regret picking them within the first five seconds of the race, but also caused them to be at last place and by a long shot. If they could even get there by the end of the challenge, their first destination is Laau Pama.

Papyrus's team: Papyrus, Little Mac, and King Dedede, were the second-worst. Whilst Little Mac had good balance and a good ability to maintain pace, Papyrus had terrible balance and couldn't match the brutal pace of Dedede, who almost tried to drag them along as he raced for their first destination, which was Laau Pama.

The true definition of balance, however, was Wii Fit Trainer's team: Wii Fit, Geoffrey, and Reigen. They weren't the quickest, but their coordination and pace were good enough to make them rival Samus's team, though they were slightly behind due to a hiccup involving Reigen tripping over within the first few seconds. They decided to go to Laau Pama first.

Finally, Sonic's team: Sonic, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs, were a very lukewarm team. They weren't as bad as Falcon's team or Papyrus's team, but they constantly had little moments where they were thrown off balance a little bit. Luckily they got better with every minute, due to them warming up to this type of movement. Their first location would be Haupia.

* * *

Samus's team was the first to make it into the forest, and Eggman grew a little cocky and excited at that fact.

"So, we're off to Haupia, right? Just a warning, if we run into that hedgehog, I'll be taking a little detour to trip him over to get back at him!" Eggman cackled. "That's the only reason I'm here!"

"You screw me up, you won't be the only person with determination to get revenge..." Samus warned.

Josuke looked a little fearful of her expression, subtly furious at Eggman's childish words. He hoped that they wouldn't begin bickering, otherwise their chances of getting first place would be impossible.

* * *

"Oh, I remember now! This is the forest route we used to take to get to the challenges from Laau Pama," Geoffrey noticed. "Looks like my memory of this island isn't blank after all."

"This island's more than forgettable, why can't Alexa have this show take place somewhere interesting?" Reigen complained.

Wii Fit Trainer rolled her eyes. "You got eliminated because you didn't scale a mountain the quickest, Reigen. You can't seriously say that the Tropics are uninteresting and mean it!"

"I guess it's just this island that I find pretty boring, in that case..." He said.

* * *

"Psst, Mario," Gordon whispered to the plumber.

"Huh?" He raised his eyebrow.

The chef leaned a little closer, making sure Soldier couldn't hear him. "Surprised him behind me is managing to stay cooperative. You'd think the total opposite just from looking at him..."

Almost as if Soldier was waiting for the two of them to think that, he piped up. "This stupid walk... REAL men soar to our objective like the eagles we are!"

Suddenly, he began leading them onwards, a sadistic smile growing in his face as he practically dragged the two with him, both of them fighting to keep balance.

"I bloody jinxed it!" Panicked Gordon.

"Waaaaaaah!" Cried Mario as he was dragged forward.

* * *

Sonic led the way as Squidward slumped behind, his face was pretty uninterested but he decided to do his bit by keeping up at the same pace as Sonic. After all, he wanted the money to himself.

"C'mon, we gotta go a lil' faster if we want that cold hard cash, mister Squidward!" Ordered Krabs.

"I'm going as fast as I can! You're the reason why we've been tripping most of this time," he snapped back.

"Oh, I get it, so 'yer expectin' me' peg legs to be as hard-workin' as those tentacles of yours, eh?" He folded his claws and pouted. "Nobody makes discrimination towards me and gets away with it!"

The hedgehog sighed as they continued to bicker, shrugging out of irritation.

* * *

"C'mon Papyrus!" Beckoned Little Mac. "If you wanna win then you gotta go a little faster than that."

Dedede patted the boxer's shoulder. "I darn agree! You've done nothin' but hold me back from gettin' at least SOME of that prize."

"DON'T WORRY, THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOES WELL IN FORESTS COMPARED TO BEACHES! I'VE ONLY BEEN TO A BEACH ABOUT TWICE SINCE I CAME TO THE SURFACE," Papyrus explained. "BUT NOW THAT I'M IN A GRASSY TERRAIN, CONSIDER OUR CHANCES OF WINNING DOUBLED!"

"Zero percent times two still equals zero ya idiot!" The penguin taunted, dragging the skeleton and boxer along with him. "If you were any slower I'd be carryin' you!"

* * *

"This feels great! I'm helpin' out my old pal to help him win the show, I bet I'll make it into the newspapers, or, erm, FOX News!" Peter got giddy over thinking about the challenge.

Suddenly, he tripped over due to a sudden tug from in front of him, causing him to get angry. "Argh, what the crap is wrong with you?!"

Johnny turned around and pointed to himself. "I don't think there's anything WRONG with me, I think the more grammatical term would be more along the lines of, ahem, 'argh, what the heck is RIGHT with you?!'."

"Never correct me like that again," pleaded Peter. "Anyway, what made you randomly tug on the chain?"

"Falcon suddenly tugged on it himself! What did ya want me to do?" He defended himself.

"I tripped on a rock," Captain Falcon explained. "Now stop arguing, we still need to get to Laau Haupa!"

* * *

Samus and Sonic's group headed for Haupia. The two teams hadn't met one another just yet, but Samus and her two teammates could see the old shelter of Laau Pama. After twenty painful yet organized minutes of walking, they had finally made it to the tribe.

The tribe was less run-down and was more barren, all of the supplies and equipment were long gone, and the only things that remained were the ashes from the campfire and the shelter.

"So, where's the key?" Asked Eggman. "I don't see it anywhere!"

Josuke shrugged. "I imagine Alexa wants us to look around for it."

"Knowing him, maybe it'll be in the Haupia shelter?" Samus suggested.

They slowly shuffled to the front of the shelter and stared inside, and just as she thought, six white keys were towards the back.

"One of us would have to crawl in and grab it! That would throw off most of our balance." Eggman began twirling his bushy mustache as he came up with several ideas. "Maybe if we all adjusted ourselves into a neat row and crawled into the shelter at the same time! That way we won't fall over because we won't be standing up..."

As he turned his head to the others to confirm if his idea is plausible, his face went blank as Josuke held the key in his hand.

"I-IMPOSSIBLE! I didn't feel a rattle on that chain y-yet you managed to grab the key? You must be some sort of telekinetic boy, right?" He guessed.

"Josuke used his stand's power, and if you want to know more about it, then he'll gladly explain to you later," Samus said as she took the key from Josuke's hand. She bent down and slotted the key into one of the locks, twisting it until an audible click was heard. The chain wasn't at all different, and neither were the bracelets confining their legs to said chain, but all they needed was the green key, and then they would be free to win the challenge."

Eggman picked up on her sass, though decided to keep quiet, as he thought that beating Sonic was more valuable than arguing with her. "Very well, now let's get to Laau Pama before anyone else shows up."

* * *

Whilst this was going on, Wii Fit Trainer and her group finally reached Laau Pama, and were slowly moving around the tribe to find the key.

"Hmm, maybe it's in the shelter?" Geoffrey recommended.

"What makes you say that?" Interrogated Reigen.

"Think about it, this tribe has nothing left of it other than the shelter and some burnt up firewood!" He explained. "So let's just check it out."

"Good idea," said Wii Fit Trainer as she walked over, leading the way for the others.

When they looked into the shelter, however, there weren't any signs of a key anywhere.

"Well, that's disappointing..." The butler folded his arms. "Well, I'm afraid to inform you all that I am out of ideas."

"I got one idea," said Reigen, leading them over to the adjacent campfire.

He knelt down, slightly tugging on the other two as he dunked his hand into the ashy fire.

It was a little gross, but the two were surprised to see two green keys emerge from the pile.

Reigen plunged one of them back into the ash as he slotted the other into the correct keyhole, twisting it.

"Great find, Reigen!" Wii Fit Trainer congratulated. "We didn't even waste too much time here, either. I bet we can win this if we get to Haupia quick enough!"

Triumphantly, she began traveling to Haupia, with Reigen and Geoffrey just behind her.

* * *

Shortly after Wii Fit's team left Laau Pama's old tribe, Dedede came storming in with Little Mac closely by, and with Papyrus constantly losing his balance.

"S-SLOW DOWN!" barked Papyrus.

Little Mac gave a nod. "Even I'm starting to lose balance, can you calm down for at least a second?!"

"No way! I ain't goin' at the same pace as y'all, otherwise, we'll lose! I never face humiliation, but if I ever somehow do, well I'm not gonna face it twice..." Dedede grunted, storming around the tribe. "Hey, I rememba' this place, and it's become kinda crummy!"

The penguin marched towards the shelter. "Aww, this is gonna be one easy key to find!"

He peeked into the shelter, taking a long gaze and focusing on every nook and cranny of the structure.

Whilst he didn't audibly state whether there was a key there, Little Mac and Papyrus got a good idea judging from the audible whining that Dedede emitted after searching the shelter.

"Where else could it be?" The king rubbed his beak before instantly spinning around violently to face the campfire ashes, sending the other two tumbling. "Aha! I got an idea..."

"T-THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE MY CHALLENGE, MEANING THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE LEADER TO GUIDE US TO VICTORY! INSTEAD I'M BEING THROWN AROUND LIKE A PET ON A LEASH!" - Papyrus.

Dedede approached the campfire. "Just look at it! There's a small hole in the middle of this, so I bet that's where Alexa wants us to check."

...

The king coughed forcefully as he patted Little Mac on the shoulder. "Well?!"

"Wait, why do I have to grab it?!" Little Mac asked, slightly hesitant to dip his boxing glove into the powdery black mix of soot, ash, and chunks of firewood.

"Because I ain't messin' up these gloves!" Replied Dedede.

The boxer looked furious over the fact that he had to do it, but soon that expression broke into mild sorrow as he gave up and dug his glove into the ash.

"GET YOUR SORRY EXCUSE FOR A GLOVE OUT OF MY ASHES!" Soldier yelled from afar, appearing through the trees as he dragged Gordon and Mario with him, both of them attempting to stand up but were instead scraped along the ground.

"WAAAHAHAHAAAA!" Mario cried with terror. Gordon was next to him, enraged from the reckless behavior.

"G-get the key quickly!" Demanded Dedede. "That freak is gainin' on us!"

"You will LOOK like a freak once I get my grubby hands on you KEY-STEALING HIPPIES!" He threatened.

Little Mac fumbled about, he had grabbed the key, but the panic of seeing Soldier slowly charge towards them caused him to drop it.

Soon the two groups were a few meters apart, and the mercenary got closer and closer, now starting to cackle vividly.

At the last second, he grabbed the key and simultaneously flicked a cloud of ash into Soldier's face, causing him to recoil and brush his face, slowing him down.

"GAAAAAH!" Screeched Papyrus, terrified of the rampaging Soldier.

They all stumbled away from him, Papyrus tripping over a few times and nearly bringing down Mac with him, but he eventually got the groove of walking in synch down, causing him to exit the area with his teammates.

Soldier finished wiping the ash off of his face before his eyes twitched with absolute rage, he immediately buried his open hand into the pile of ash and immediately found the green key, maintaining focus on Little Mac especially.

"You see this key?! I will pry this very same type of key from your cold dead hands..." He growled.

Luckily for Mario and Gordon, they managed to quickly stand back up as Soldier was busy grabbing the key.

This didn't last long, however, as his wild sprint caused them to instantly lose balance again. He ran towards them, though very slowly as he was dragging two men using his legs only.

"Mother*CENSORED*!" Cursed Gordon.

* * *

Sonic, Squidward and Krabs entered Haupia, as quiet as can be, and they were relieved to see that nobody else was present.

"Alright, let's get out of here and quick, because I don't think many of them suckers decided to go here first!" Krabs wrung his claws as he moved with his team.

They immediately gravitated towards the shelter to look for the keys, and to their luck, the five remaining white keys were right there, in front of their eyes.

"Nice!" Sonic smirked, leaning onto the structure and attempting to reach for one of the keys. This caused the chains to strain, which further resulted in Squidward and Mr. Krabs losing a little bit of balance, though not enough to trip.

"Maybe the shortest shouldn't be the one to get the key," mumbled Squidward.

After his cynical remark, Sonic managed to barely nab the end of one of the white keys, retreating out of the shelter and slotting the key into the chain.

"Now we just need the other," he said. "Then I'll run over and tie the chain to the pole."

"Whatever gets me that cash!" Krabs smirked.

* * *

"W-we're finally at Laau Pama?!" Captain Falcon noticed. "Please tell me we aren't in last place..."

"I sorta got the vibe that we're in last place by a long shot, but that's just me," admitted Peter.

He decided to ignore the pessimistic comment as he noticed that ash was scattered around the old campfire, which made searching for the key a lot easier of a task, now that the location had been laid out in front of them.

They approached the ash as Johnny dug his hand into it, pulling out a key. He then slotted it into the keyhole and turned, but nothing happened.

"Huh?" He raised his eyebrow, turning it again. "This darn key's a fake!"

Peter gasped. "Oh God! Then where's the real one-"

*CLICK*

"Oh, sorry, turns out I just turned it the wrong way!" Johnny declared.

Captain Falcon buried his face in his hand as he gave out one brief yet heavy sigh.

"You don't look very happy," noted Peter.

"Great observation, but hey, we got a key!" The bounty hunter stated, attempting to get his optimism back up. "Next stop, Haupia!"

* * *

Ten whole minutes passed since Captain Falcon's team, also the last team, retrieved their first key. Most of the survivors were now around the middle of the island, and Samus's team was even nearly to their second key, and it was just a matter of running back to the beach from there.

Sonic's team had fully gotten the timing and pattern walking down, at this point, although there was a very occasional trip or fall that cost them some time.

Due to Papyrus's team getting chased by Mario's team - specifically just Soldier - they were unintentionally the fastest tribe, their pace and rhythm being near-perfect solely due to their fear of Soldier catching up to them, and Soldier's burning determination to catch them also made him very fast, even if he was dragging Mario and Gordon via chain.

Wii Fit Trainer's team was also close to getting their last key, but their moderate pace didn't outmatch Samus's team, unfortunately for them.

Samus, Eggman, and Josuke entered Laau Pama, all they had to do was find the last key, and then winning the challenge would be straightforward from there.

"Well, it looks like finding the key won't be much of a challenge this time," Eggman pointed directly towards the messy ashes. "Somebody's dug in there!"

"But what if they just did that to check if it was there, and it wasn't?" Questioned Samus.

Eggman nodded. "Hmm... fair point."

"I'll just use Crazy Diamond to check it out," Josuke said as he summoned his stand.

The spirit quickly glided over to the pile of ash before punching it out of the way and into the air, revealing two more keys.

"I didn't even see anything... the pile just spluttered everywhere..." Analyzed Eggman. "And he calls it 'Crazy Diamond' eh? I can't exactly call him out for such a cheesy name considering I name all of my inventions after a nickname of mine, but it's still quite a ridiculous name!"

Josuke tapped his feet as he received the key from his stand. "I can hear everything you're saying, y'know?"

"O-of course," he gulped. "S-sorry to insult you!"

Samus took the key from him as she slotted the key into the chain's second lock, turning it until a click was heard. Suddenly, all of the bracelets wrapped around their legs felt looser as the chain flopped to the ground.

With victory in her mind, she grabbed the chain and began running back alongside the other two.

"Running without having to worry about tripping every five seconds sure is great!" Josuke laughed joyfully. "I wonder how much Yen this prize money is worth..."

* * *

Wii Fit Trainer, Reigen, and Geoffrey arrived at Haupia for the second key, and naturally, they decided to dig into the campfire to check for a key, just like for the last key.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't feel a single thing in there," informed Geoffrey. "Having it in the same place was too good to be true, anyhow."

Both of them were slightly frustrated to hear that fact, but Wii Fit Trainer was nowhere near close to giving up just yet. "Maybe it's in the shelter this time!"

"Y'know, we may sound smart for checking the campfire and the shelter for keys before anything else, but those are the only two things that remain in the tribe!" - Wii Fit Trainer.

They moved over to the shelter and stared into it, catching the keys.

"Aha! Just as I had predicted," said Reigen.

"I refuse to believe that you genuinely predicted it, Mr. Arataka." Geoffrey shook his head at him.

"Why does nobody ever believe me?!" He grumbled.

Wii Fit Trainer leaned in and grabbed the key, she then unlocked her chain and took it off of everyone.

"At long last, we're free from those stupid shackles. They were starting to hurt my leg a little," Reigen confessed. "Anyway, let's go!"

The three of them began running off to the beach, hoping that nobody would be present there.

* * *

"I think we lost 'em!" Announced Dedede, giving an out-of-breath chortle. "Those idiots can't outpace us!"

Papyrus gave a slow nod before gasping. "WAIT, LOOK!"

They turned their heads and saw the old Haupia tribe.

"We made it already?!" Little Mac queried. "Looks like being chased by the madman with a helmet really paid off!"

As they cheered, their joy was quickly interrupted by a green key shooting right past their faces, stabbing the tree adjacent to them. With strikingly immense fear, they looked over to see who exactly threw it.

"That was our key you *CENSORED* doughnut!" Gordon scolded the Soldier as he walked forwards, cracking his fists.

"If fighting is sure to result in victory then you must FIGHT!" He barked, snapping his head over to Gordon. "And I think kicking their asses holds more priority than some key!"

Little Mac shook his head, waving his hands apologetically. "L-look, I didn't mean to annoy you even more! You just looked like you were about to-"

"Beat the hippie out of you?" He smirked maliciously, drawing closer.

Papyrus's team slowly began stumbling away from him as Gordon and Mario managed to scramble to their feet again; Soldier had finally gotten exhausted from all of the running.

"Quick, grab the key!" Mario commanded.

Gordon reached out and plucked the green key from the tree Soldier had pierced when they walked by it, and he held it to his chest to make sure that he wouldn't lose it.

"That was-a close..." The plumber said. "Soldier, let's-a get that key before them, then you won't have to-a drag us!"

"HMM..." The mercenary rubbed his chin. "You're wise for a pasta-binging coward! Let's go get that key, men!"

Soon Soldier began quickening his pace, more and more, quickly to the point where the others had to run and pray that they didn't screw up in order to keep balanced.

They soon began gaining on the group in front of them again, Papyrus being the first one to notice it.

"ERM, WHERE'S THE KEY?!" He questioned, constantly glancing back and forth at the other group.

"Nobody's touched the ashes, it can't be in there!" Little Mac said. "Maybe around the shelter?"

They began moving around the shelter, and as soon as they gazed inside to see the keys, Soldier pushed past them and leaped into the shelter, dragging Mario and Gordon along with him.

He grabbed the key and retreated, him and Gordon using their keys on the locks to finally break free from the chain.

"FINALLY!" Soldier grinned, turning towards them. "Now I can show you the TRUE meaning of war, son!"

"W-WELL, I HAD A GOOD LIFE!" Papyrus said as he cowered in fear.

Mario handed the chain to Gordon as he ran off to finish the challenge, though the plumber himself stayed behind and tapped Soldier on his arm.

"Eh?" He turned his head. "What do you want? Parmesan?!"

"Don't you want to-a be the first American to get to the beach?" The plumber asked, previously picking up on his patriotism and using it against him. "You're already wasting time!"

Soldier then froze before beginning to run off. "CONSIDER YOURSELVES LUCKY!"

"I'm-a surprised that he fell for that," Mario chuckled. "Let's-a hope that there are no other Americans at the beach."

"Thanks for the help, Mario..." Little Mac gave a sigh of relief as he leaned into the house to grab the key. "That guy was close to killing us!"

"Maybe that's why you don't flick ash in his face, then!" Blamed Dedede.

As they both began bickering, Mario ran off to meet up with his group...

* * *

Wii Fit Trainer escaped the forest alongside Geoffrey and Reigen, and her face dropped a tiny bit.

It turned out that Samus, Eggman, and Josuke both got back before them, and had already wrapped their chain around the pole. Alexa was still congratulating them on being first place, too.

"Well that's a shame, although at least you managed to get second place!" Geoffrey smiled. "Don't worry about us missing the prize."

"Actually, DO worry about us missing the prize!" Reigen butted in. "One-thousand dollars is a lot in Yen!"

She pouted. "Well, I guess second place is decent enough, I'm sorry I couldn't get you to first place to get the money, guys."

"I already said, don't worry about us, especially Reigen..." He muttered. "Now hurry up before another person nabs second place!"

Wii Fit Trainer sprinted over, her chain in her hand, and she reached the pole, wrapping the chain around it and tying a decent knot.

"WII FIT TRAINER AND HER TEAM EARN SECOND PLACE!" Announced Alexa. "She will earn four-hundred points whilst you guys will unfortunately earn nothing..."

She celebrated alongside her group as the others congratulated her, all but Eggman, who was too busy still celebrating over the fact that he beat Sonic, and by a longshot too!

Right after the celebrations and embraces died down, Gordon erupted from the forest, Soldier not too far behind him.

The chef had the chain, and as fast as possible, he reached the pole and tied a firm knot. As he did so, Mario came out of the forest and ran up to the others himself.

"MARIO'S TEAM EARNS THIRD PLACE!" Applauded Alexa as well as a few others. "Mario will earn three-hundred points, though Gordon and Soldier will earn nothing."

"Why were they all so split up?" Josuke questioned.

"Soldier's lost his marbles, if he had any, that's why." Gordon shook his head and gave a deep sigh. "That was absolutely exhausting."

"We-a got third?" Mario asked. "That should-a hopefully be enough to stay safe!"

Like with Wii Fit Trainer and her team, they all celebrated, Soldier gloating he was the first American to make it to the beach, even though it wasn't true at all.

Around a minute passed before Little Mac came bursting out of the forest, followed by Papyrus and then King Dedede.

When he went to approach the pole, however...

Sonic, harnessing the chain, zipped right in front of him, wrapping and tying his chain to the pole before Little Mac could even react.

"WHA..." Papyrus paused.

"Whoops, sorry!" He winked.

"SONIC AND HIS TEAM WINS FOURTH PLACE... wherever his team members are," added Alexa. "Sonic wins two-hundred points!"

As Little Mac bitterly wrapped his chain around the pole, securing fifth place, Squidward and Mr. Krabs ran out of the forest to join Sonic.

"NOOOO! MY PRECIOUS MONEY..." Krabs cried. "WE WERE TOO LATE, TOO LITTLE MISTER SQUIDWARD! TOO LATE TOO LIIIITTLE!"

"How sad," he unenthusiastically commented. "Get off the floor."

Eggman pointed towards his hedgehog rival and laughed. "SORRY SONIC, BUT I WIN THIS ROUND!"

"Hey, at least I got further than you, even if I wasn't brought back!" He gave a cocky grin.

"Why you little... you aren't phased by my victory aren't you?! Well, mark my words, because one day I'll see that suffering in your eyes!" Eggman promised angrily before facing away, folding his arms. "Now give me that money so I can get out of here already!"

"Not until the final group shows up, I bet they won't take that long!" Said Alexa, brushing off their absence as if it were nothing.

Seconds passed, then minutes, then half an hour struck the survivors as they all continued waiting for this last group.

"Where are they?!" Josuke asked, beginning to get angry.

Shortly after questioning their whereabouts, Captain Falcon began running towards the pole.

"Finally!" He celebrated. "Wait... I'm last?!"

"Yeah... and by a lot..." Alexa informed.

Captain Falcon groaned as he wrapped the chain around the pole, Peter and Johnny showing up behind him.

"Aww crap, we did horrible!" Peter grumbled.

"Well you know what they say, last place is first place for losers!" Johnny triumphantly commented. "Wait... that doesn't sound too positive for me."

Alexa chuckled as he gave in the final results. "With you guys being last, you earn no points whatsoever! To recap the final results: Samus, Josuke Higashikata and Dr. Eggman got first; Wii Fit Trainer, Arataka Reigen and Geoffrey Butler got second; Mario, Gordon Ramsay, and Soldier got third; Sonic, Squidward and Mr. Krabs got fourth; Papyrus, Little Mac and King Dedede got fifth; and Captain Falcon, Johnny Bravo, and Peter Griffin got dead-last. Give thanks to your teammates for participating! Josuke and Eggman will receive one-thousand dollars as a result, and Wario and Gruntilda also deserve some level of thanks for painfully spectating the whole thing."

"Painful? You-a got that right!" Wario spat.

"Thanks for helping me out, guys!" Wii Fit Trainer waved goodbye as they began to leave.

"FAREWELL, LITTLE MAC AND DEDEDE!" Saluted Papyrus.

The others also said their goodbyes to their team members as they all soon disappeared from sight, once again leaving the final six.

"The cast is pretty small now, eh?" Alexa asked. "Allow me to add your earned points to your totals before you head back to decide who to vote off:"

* * *

*SAFE HAVEN*

SAMUS ARAN - 1005

MARIO - 942

WII FIT TRAINER - 691

*DANGER ZONE*

CAPTAIN FALCON - 464

PAPYRUS - 430

SONIC - 423

* * *

"Well, there you have it! Captain Falcon, Papyrus, and Sonic are all up for elimination," revealed Alexa. "Now head back to the tribe and discuss who to vote off!"

The survivors walked back to their tribe...

* * *

**Laau Haupa: Day 30**

Survivors: Mario - Papyrus - Samus Aran - Wii Fit Trainer - Captain Falcon - Sonic

Although the sky was finally clear from Cloudblots, the brightness of the daylight didn't last too long, as dusk had now fallen, leaving the sky enveloped in an orange hue from the sunset as the rest of it had a royal blue color.

The six survivors were together, every last one of them prepared to take on the final elimination before the beginning of the end of Survivor Crossover.

"So, elimination it is then?" Captain Falcon said, twiddling his thumbs. "It's sorta awkward to even suggest a possible eliminee."

"Allow me to suggest one for you, then." Samus shot a cold stare at him, which told Falcon that whatever she was about to say wouldn't be pretty for him. "That suggestion is you."

He gasped, even though he almost expected someone like her to suggest him. "M-me?! Why?!"

"She's back to trying to get me eliminated again! First it was her, then Reigen and Squidward, now everyone! This is really bad, but good thing Wii Fit Trainer has her idol." - Captain Falcon.

"You seem to be the most threatening out of the other three," she informed.

Wii Fit Trainer silently watched as the two argued with one another. Even though she was in an alliance, she wouldn't say anything to avoid people catching on, which would make things even worse for Falcon.

"And Sonic isn't?!" Falcon stood up, pointing to him. "Nothin' against him, but he can run faster than all of us combined and then some! Not to mention he's more athletic than me, and the only reason he's up for elimination is down to bad luck! This is your one opportunity to vote off Sonic, and I guarantee that he's capable of beating us all in this finale."

"You have a lot of strategy behind what you do, and you're incredibly good at influencing others to your specific viewpoint, which will unfortunately not work this time," she revealed. "Mainly down to how me, Sonic and Mario have planned to vote you off for some time."

"M-Mario too?!" He almost wanted to clench his fists, but deep down he was trying to convince himself that Mario didn't do it out of spite, but only to win the game himself, which helped calm him down.

"No-a hard feelings, but you ARE a pretty big threat," sighed Mario.

Sonic wagged his finger. "I think it's best that you just give up now, not to sound like a villain or anything, but what's your hope of getting out of this?"

Papyrus chattered his teeth, unsure of what to do. "ERM... FALCON HELPED OUT MY FRIENDS SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE! I CAN'T VOTE FOR HIM."

"He'll destroy you in this finale." Samus attempted to convince him.

In response, he shook his head. "NO! WELL, YES, HE WILL, BUT I THINK I'VE COME TO TERMS WITH THE FACT THAT... WELL... EVERYONE WILL 'DESTROY' ME IN THIS FINALE. I HAVEN'T BEEN SAFE IN AGES... SO I WON'T DECIDE ON THREATS, BUT WHO MY FRIENDS ARE"

"That's a great mindset! Unfortunately, I'm stumped myself." Wii Fit Trainer could do nothing but shrug. "Maybe I will vote Falcon, because he does sound like a pretty big threat, now that I think about it..."

Although he looked slightly betrayed, a good part of him believed that she was saying that to fool the others and that she'll help him out in Tribal Council.

"Which brings it to a four-to-two vote," said Sonic.

"C'mon Wii Fit!" Pleaded Falcon. "We've barely interacted," he lied, "but I know we're still on good terms!"

Suddenly, she snapped, her eyes flaring. "Barely interacted?! We were in an alliance, but all you could do was make the decisions yourself and use me as some extra vote! I'm sorry, and I tried to make things sound less harsh, but I'm going to be voting you no matter what. I'll also be using my idol against you too, whatever it does."

At first, Captain Falcon presumed that Wii Fit Trainer was still going along with it, but after studying her face, he was in shock... she looked to be telling the hard truth. It made no sense to him; had he really hurt her feelings?

Samus looked convinced enough. "Well, a definite four-to-two, plus an idol that doesn't even need to be used! You might as well just switch votes Papyrus."

Papyrus shook his head. "SORRY MADAM, BUT I'M STILL GOING TO DO IT OUT OF COURTESY!"

"Sheesh, I didn't want it to be so dramatic..." Sonic scratched the back of his head. "Good thing Tribal Council starts soon."

Mario gave a slightly nervous smile. "Agreed."

"I'm slightly suspicious of Wii Fit Trainer. Somebody so optimistic and friendly getting so easily upset? I thought the only times where she showed anger was when Alexa was putting people in danger. Then again, to know that they were in an alliance is interesting, and it just shows how strategic Captain Falcon really is..." - Samus Aran.

Captain Falcon began walking off. "Y'know what? I think I need a walk before this begins..."

As he disappeared, Mario felt a little bad about having to vote for him, and he almost pondered voting for Sonic, but alas, he decided to stick with Falcon.

They spent the remainder of their time either in silence or quietly chatting amongst themselves as Captain Falcon roamed around the island, thinking about his time here.

Eventually, however, it soon was time to head off to Tribal Council. Even if things looked sour for some, they couldn't keep the fact that this was the FINAL challenge in getting to the Finale off of their minds, and with determination, confidence, and hope, they all went off to Tribal Council...

* * *

**Tribal Council: Night 30**

The place was warm, but that didn't stop shivers being sent down the spines of those who were present there. The survivors all entered and sat down on their benches as per usual, and soon the Jury entered...

Gordon Ramsay, Johnny Bravo, Josuke Higashikata, King Dedede, Little Mac, and Arataka Reigen, the latter two were new to being Jury and greeted the remaining survivors.

When they all finally sat down, Alexa appeared into their view and walked in front of them all.

"Through thick and thin, through good and bad, and through the most intense moments of Survivor Crossover, you six have managed to survive through each part. Whilst Survivor Crossover isn't exactly over yet, it nearly is, and the fact that you made it to this point is a pat on the back to you. Being a member of Jury alone is an accomplishment, heck, being brave enough to apply and get into the show is a feat that most people wouldn't think of doing! Now, whilst eliminations ending after today is still not in the clear, this will be the last one before the Finale, as you all know," said Alexa. "How does that make you feel, Wii Fit Trainer?"

She smiled. "Relieved, honestly! This show has exhausted me to no end, and it's constantly kept me on my toes. To think that it's nearly over and that I still got a decent shot at winning the show overall is unbelievable. We've been here for nearly a month!"

"Yes, we have," Alexa agreed. "Thirty whole days of being on the island or going around the Tropics doing challenges or other things, it's crazy to think that all of this is just going to end soon, even for me! Now, Mario, how did it feel getting to meet the past survivors that had been eliminated?"

"It felt like a fun catchup session... well, it would have-a felt like that if there wasn't an annoying challenge attached to it!" Mario grumbled. "But still, I-a had a good time getting to work with or talk to-a those who I considered friends!"

The host gave another nod before pointing towards Sonic. "Sonic, you fell from grace since you rejoined. You went from the top-scorer to the bottom scorer! Heck, you nearly lost to Reigen a couple of challenges ago! What happened?"

"Well when you combine bad luck with bad luck with a sprinkling of more bad luck, then you aren't really going to have a great time," explained Sonic. "That's just how it is."

"With Roulettes having such a vital role in Survivor Crossover, I agree!" Stated Alexa. "Now, let's get down to the MEAT of today's Tribal Council, the vote..."

One by one, the survivors went over to cast their votes.

Captain Falcon: I'm probably going to be eliminated, but I might as well vote for you! (Sonic)

Sonic: You were a cool guy and all but this game is mine for the taking. (Captain Falcon)

Samus Aran: A fierce competitor, for sure, but being a vulnerable threat is the worst position you could ever be in. (Captain Falcon)

Papyrus: HE HELPED OUT LITTLE MAC SEVERAL TIMES, THAT'S ENOUGH FOR ME TO VOTE FOR WHOEVER HE'S VOTING FOR, WHO JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE THE ONE WHO ABANDONED THE ALLIANCE! (Sonic)

"Survivors, this is the last night you can use idols in, so it's now or never!" Announced Alexa. "So, would anyone like to use an idol?"

...

Wii Fit Trainer raised her hand, the Idol of Mirroring tucked under her fingers.

"Ah, the Idol of Mirroring! Fun fact, this idol was discovered on the third day of this show, meaning that it's had a pretty long lifespan, longer than any other idol!" Revealed Alexa. "The Idol of Mirroring makes all votes cast towards one person bounce back onto the person who voted for them. If that person is immune, then it will be simply nullified. Not to mention that it also reveals who voted for the person you use it on! A pretty lame idol to use in the later game... anyway, who would you like to use the Idol of Mirroring on?"

She instantaneously pointed to Captain Falcon, causing Samus to silently curse as Sonic and Mario widened their eyes.

"C'mon, I didn't mean anything I said!" Wii Fit Trainer gave a smile. "I just wanted to fool the others."

He was at a loss for words as Alexa applied the idol's effect to the votes.

"Survivors, I will now read out the votes!" Announced Alexa.

***VOTING TIME***

First vote goes to Captain Falcon from Mario, the vote is nullified due to the Idol of Mirroring.

Second vote goes to Captain Falcon from Samus, the vote is nullified due to the Idol of Mirroring.

Third vote goes to Sonic, one vote Sonic. (Sonic didn't show any signs of a reaction.)

Fourth vote goes to Captain Falcon from Sonic, the vote is reflected back onto Sonic. Two votes Sonic.

Fifth vote goes to Sonic, that's three votes Sonic.

"The next member of the Jury is... Sonic! At four votes." Revealed Alexa. "Sonic, hand me your torch, your time is done."

The hedgehog looked unbelievably offended at first, but started clapping slowly and sarcastically. "Welp, well-played Captain Falcon, and you too Wii Fit."

In a flash, he sped over to the torch, grabbed it, and landed at Alexa's feet.

The host grabbed the torch, and slowly snuffed it out. "With some final words, you may leave Survivor Crossover..."

"Well, I got outplayed, and I probably made some mistakes that landed me in this situation, but if there's ever a next time for me, I'll get further than this, if not win!" He cockily yet confidently assured before leaving in the blink of an eye.

"Sonic was probably the strongest competitor, in my opinion. He had the speed, the strength and the skill to win, but what makes this show so balanced is that those who are seen as threats have an equal chance of getting eliminated! Goodnight survivors, and sleep tight too, because tomorrow is the Finale you've all been waiting for..."

The five survivors grouped up and left Tribal Council, the Jury following, and then Alexa and his staff team. The show was coming to a close, and one last Episode remained. Who will win? Find out next time on Survivor Crossover: Tropics!

* * *

Sonic's Last Words: "When you're forced into an island with minimal food and with constant annoying challenges and people, you'd expect it to be a nightmare, though I managed to enjoy it! It still sucks being the guy who was eliminated twice, both due to gimmicks that hit me like a truck, but I enjoyed it anyway!"

* * *

**VOTES**

Captain Falcon's voters: Mario (nullified), Samus (nullified).

Sonic's voters: Captain Falcon, Wii Fit Trainer, Papyrus, Sonic (reflection).

* * *

**IDOLS**

Idol of Attacking - Wario. (USED)

Idol of Defense - Captain Falcon. (USED)

Idol of Mirroring - Wii Fit Trainer. (USED)

Idol of Curses - Samus. (USED - CURSE HAS WORN OFF)

The Revival Idol - Mario. (USED)

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

Laau Haupa (Yellow Team)

\- Mario

\- Papyrus

\- Samus Aran

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Captain Falcon

* * *

Make sure to check out the character poll on my profile page to see who you want returning for Survivor Crossover 2! ^_^


	21. Episode 16 - The Grand Finale

Episode 16: The Grand Finale

**Tribal Council: Night 31**

The flames of the torches cackled intensely as the howling wind attempted to extinguish it. The trees surrounding Tribal Council were still, though the same couldn't be said for their swaying branches and leaves. The fresh gale was certainly not invited to this Finale, but in a way, it definitely helped fit the mood.

Nothing interested happened throughout the day for Laau Haupa. They all shared a "good luck" with one another, talked about old contestants, and that was pretty much all that happened. Now, they were readying themselves to take on this Finale, an event so annoyingly hyped up by Alexa, that a few of them even suspected that it wouldn't live up to their immensely high expectations. Either way, the five of them entered:

Samus Aran: the strict and ill-talkative bounty hunter who kept her eyes on the prize more than any other survivor on the show. She had dodged elimination several times, from fooling others to using an idol that would render her incredibly vulnerable if she were to be up for elimination again. Out of everyone left, she was the one with the most confidence in her victory.

Mario: the spunky, skillful, and jump-happy plumber with more athletic skills than what meets the eye. For a good chunk of the merge, Mario had managed to stay in the Safe Haven due to his raw skill and power, and even when he was vulnerable, his optimism and friendly status among the others made it difficult to eliminate him.

Wii Fit Trainer: the all-too-friendly yet sharp fitness trainer with no glaring weaknesses to make up for her lack of being one of the weaker members that remained. She stuck with her late-game alliance alongside Captain Falcon and managed to trick even the smartest of survivors to save said alliance. She wasn't exceptional, but she definitely wasn't a force to be reckoned with either when you add up her social skills, strengths, and skills.

Captain Falcon: an incredibly strong and fast competitor with his own strategy saving himself from elimination more times than not. Even through an unintentional betrayal with Johnny, being targeted by the brutal Samus and being targeted by over half of his tribe at one point, he managed to live through every single one of those obstacles.

Finally, Papyrus: a curious skeleton with a knack for making friends and impressing others. His own lack of skills and his inability to pose much of a threat carried him to where he is now, and the fact that he's arguably on at least decent terms with the other four remaining survivors is a feat. Even through losing his whole alliance and several other friends along the way, determination in his soul kept him going.

Confidently and cautiously, they entered Tribal Council and sat down, only five torches remained...

Oddly enough, no Jury showed up just yet, which filled the survivors with curiosity.

This curiosity was distracted by Alexa, however, as the host entered the Tribal Council himself to greet the five survivors.

"Over THIRTY days of being trapped in the Tropics with minimal luxury, constantly fighting to stay for one million dollars and the stay at the Luxorium Hotel. That is a month's worth of fighting, and honestly, I cannot stress enough of how proud I am to see you fight through it all!" Alexa gave a powerful clap. "Now, the show's not over yet, which means the fighting to win will still continue."

Samus gave a nod. "What will the Finale consist of?"

"That's what I'm curious about," agreed Captain Falcon.

"First thing's first," he began. "You will all be scored based on how many votes you all received throughout the past month of Survivor. Whether they've been nullified, reflected, or anything else, they will still count. The two with the least amount of votes will be safe, whilst the others will participate in yet another elimination. If there's a tie, then the one who had the most points on the Leaderboards will be the winner of said tie."

"WAAAA?!" Mario's jaw dropped. "Another one so-a soon?!"

Alexa grinned. "Yeah! BUT, there is one catch. The catch is that those who are safe will not be able to vote, but those who are vulnerable will have to vote."

"So if Captain Falcon's vulnerable, and I'm not, that means I won't be able to vote for him in this next Tribal Council! This is bad..." - Wii Fit Trainer.

He proceeded to wring his hands excitedly. "I've been secretly tallying all of the votes, so that means we'll be able to get right into it!"

Before any of the survivors could say anything, Alexa revealed who received the most votes throughout the whole competition...

* * *

***SAFE***

WII FIT TRAINER - 0 Votes

MARIO - 3 Votes

***VULNERABLE***

PAPYRUS - 4 Votes

CAPTAIN FALCON - 5 Votes

SAMUS ARAN - 11 Votes

* * *

"I really had zero votes?!" Wii Fit Trainer gawked. "Well, I won't complain about that."

"WOWIE, YOU HAD ELEVEN VOTES?!" Papyrus looked to Samus, bewildered. "HOW DID YOU MAKE IT THIS FAR?"

"Remember the idol I used?" She rhetorically asked. "That's why. Plus, four people voted for me at the beginning."

"All of the points I got went to waste, now I'm vulnerable, and my only saving grace is having Papyrus vote against Falcon instead of me." - Samus Aran.

Captain Falcon gulped. "Well... this isn't good."

Alexa then continued on with the Tribal Council. "Alright! Before we get down to voting, Samus, Captain Falcon and Papyrus will all have five minutes to discuss who to vote. Starting... now!"

"ERM, DON'T VOTE FOR ME!" Papyrus pleaded.

"Only if you vote for Samus," said Falcon.

"DEAL!" The skeleton posed. "THAT WAS RATHER EASY!"

...

Samus stood up. "Hang on!"

For the first time, a hint of desperation was in her voice.

"EH?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Captain Falcon's much more of a threat than I am, he had a hidden alliance that nobody else knew about. Remember that threats are the most important targets!" She informed.

Papyrus groaned, wagging his finger. "PSSH, IT'S ALL 'THREAT' THIS AND 'THREAT' THAT FROM YOU PEOPLE! I WILL VOTE ALONGSIDE CAPTAIN FALCON BECAUSE HE HELPED OUT MY FRIENDS SEVERAL TIMES! NOT TO MENTION WE HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON, TO PUT IT LIGHTLY..."

Silence struck the council, and even Alexa was taken back by how defeated Samus was beginning to look.

Instead of fighting back, she decided to fold her arms, looking to the side.

Captain Falcon was cheering in his head, he had won! After so many days of competing against Samus, and even if things between them got less tense at some point, he finally bested her thanks to Papyrus.

...

"I didn't want to have to admit this since it's embarrassing..." Uttered Samus.

Another trick up her sleeve?! Falcon wanted to pull out his own hair from the premise of it alone.

"NOTHING YOU MAY ADMIT WILL HELP YOU OUT, SO YOU'LL JUST EMBARRASS YOURSELF!" Papyrus decided. "YOU CAN GAIN NO PITY FROM M-"

"I am actually obsessed with cooking," she revealed.

Captain Falcon's jaw dropped, and the same could be said for the people watching.

Papyrus froze, a small smile cracking along his face. "S-SAY THAT AGAIN?"

"Being in an environment with no cooking ingredients other than rice and beans was and still is an awful experience!" Samus dramatically shivered. "So when something more complex such as fish came along, I, unfortunately, got jealous of the fact that you were the one who got to cook it, that's why I convinced you to give me the privilege of cooking something like that!"

He squealed in response. "I KNEW YOU HAD PASSION FOR COOKING!"

"Is she-a lying to get him onto her side?" Mario asked Wii Fit Trainer.

"I think so, she never really struck me as the chef type..." She responded.

Samus continued, "I have a lot of cooking books, and your cooking is inspiring to me, I just didn't want to admit it!"

"This just took a turn for the weird..." Alexa muttered under his breath.

Papyrus gulped. "ERM, I DON'T KNOW WHO TO CHOOSE! SOMEONE WHO LOVES MY COOKING ENTIRELY AND IS MORE RELATABLE... OR THE GUY WHO HELPED MY FRIENDS OUT IN THIS COMPETITION."

"Helping out friends isn't as good as you think," she stated. "Besides, only one person may win."

"N-now hang on a second!" Captain Falcon paused their conversation. "Papyrus, she's clearly lying! Just because she cooked some fish doesn't mean she's actually obsessed with cooking like you."

"BUT IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW!" He replied, struggling to understand his logic. "I'M SORRY BUT, MAYBE THE PERSON WHO HELPED OUT MY FRIENDS ISN'T AS MUCH OF A PRIORITY AS, WELL, A FRIEND."

She smirked upon hearing the sentence.

"Y-you've known her for five minutes!" The racer thought to himself, slumping his head into his hands with distress. "What do I do now?"

Almost like Samus was reading his mind, she turned to him. "The only thing you can do now is to admit defeat for real. You've wrangled yourself out of elimination for the last time."

...

...

...

It was over, Papyrus had fully made his mind up, and Captain Falcon thought that helping out Little Mac through thick and thin would pay off...

Luckily for him, Mario decided to step in.

"Weird how you-a use the fact that you-a love cooking to win Papyrus over when Captain Falcon's a cook himself!" He stated.

Captain Falcon and Papyrus both gasped at the same time.

"But is there any proof behind that?" Asked Samus. "I doubt there is."

"Then answer me this then!" Wii Fit Trainer chimed in. "Why does Captain Falcon light the campfire using his FISTS before we all start cooking? He learned it for a reason!"

"YOU DID?" The skeleton rubbed his jawbone.

It was his only shot to lie, and he felt a little bad going through with it, but Captain Falcon played along with the lie created by Mario and Wii Fit Trainer. "I did it so I can cook even when outside!"

"LEARNING HOW TO SET YOUR FISTS ON FIRE MOMENTARILY... JUST SO YOU CAN COOK?" Any other person would laugh or discard that statement as false, but not him. "THAT'S... INCREDIBLY INSPIRATIONAL! NOW I HAVE TO PICK BETWEEN TWO DIE-HARD CHEFS?!"

Samus choked on her words as she practically felt Papyrus switch back to Captain Falcon's side.

Before she could mutter anything else...

"Well, that's exactly five minutes! Well, actually six because things got too interesting for me to cut it out just yet," Alexa cheekily admitted. "Anyway, let's get down to voting!"

One by one, the three survivors cast their votes...

Samus Aran: You might have bested me, but there's more evidence in my lie than there is in yours. So if Papyrus were to use his common sense, you'd definitely be out, but for now, it's quite random. (Captain Falcon)

Captain Falcon: You were a fierce opponent, and you even acted like a weirdo foodie just to get someone on your side, but I'm sorry, that's not enough. If you think I've wrangled my way out of elimination too many times, look at yourself, Mrs. Eleven Votes! (Samus Aran)

Papyrus: THIS IS SUCH A HARD CHOICE! TWO PEOPLE WHO I RESPECT DEARLY, BUT, I THINK I'VE MADE UP MY MIND. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE RIGHT ANSWER, AND I HOPE I DON'T END UP REGRETTING IT! (?)

"Survivors, I will now read out the votes!" Announced Alexa.

***VOTING TIME***

First vote goes to Samus, that's one vote Samus.

Second vote goes to Captain Falcon, that's one vote Captain Falcon, and one vote Samus.

"And the next member of Jury and the next one to be eliminated is..." Alexa held his breath.

...

...

...

Captain Falcon and Samus were both tense...

"AND... IT'S... THE ONE AND ONLY..." Alexa purposefully delayed the elimination some more. "...SAMUS ARAN! Eliminated at a close 2-1, hand me your torch, your time is done!"

She paused, completely defeated. She then shot one last glare towards Captain Falcon. "You win this time. Though don't count on winning the whole competition."

Bitterly, Samus grabbed the torch and gave it to Alexa.

"Don't feel too bad about your elimination, you still got further than all of those before you!" Wii Fit Trainer stated. "Heck, even further than a Hedgehog that can run one-hundred laps before you can finish one!"

The bounty hunter tutted as her torch was snuffed out. "Farewell to all of you, I'll still be in the Jury, so keep a lookout for me."

Slowly but surely, she went down the walkway, disappearing from sight.

"Samus played more fierce than anyone else. It's just a shame that her lack of social behavior throughout Survivor Crossover ultimately resulted in her elimination..." Alexa admitted. "Survivors, please follow me!"

He led them out of the Tribal Council, the complete opposite direction where Samus was leaving to...

* * *

Samus's Last Words: "I came so close, yet apparently so far. Captain Falcon played smarter than me in some places, so maybe if we had a middle-ground and voted for Papyrus, I'd still be here. Maybe I'll be back in the future, maybe not, but I had a... decent time on this region, though I won't miss it nor its inhabitants..."

* * *

**VOTES**

Samus's Voters: Captain Falcon, Papyrus.

Captain Falcon's Voters: Samus.

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

Laau Haupa (Yellow Team)

\- Mario

\- Papyrus

\- Wii Fit Trainer

\- Captain Falcon

* * *

**Survivor Graveyard: Night 31**

Around the side of Tribal Council was a stretch of land that had been fenced off. Survivors who witnessed it thought nothing of it, assuming it was some sort of storage area for Tribal Council, or for challenges. However, this turned out to not be the case, as when Alexa came to the main gate to open it, the survivors got a proper look at the place for the very first time.

Graves were lined up in rows, unlit torches stood up firmly behind them. At first glance, the survivors thought genuine dead people were buried beneath them, but they looked at the names of some of these gravestones:

"Wario"

"Josuke"

"Geoffrey"

These names alongside the others proved that these gravestones represented the survivors who lost the show, which explains the snuffed out torches next to them.

Alexa walked over to the far back and carved the name "Samus" onto an empty gravestone alongside details of her elimination, placing her torch on it.

"Before we continue the Finale, I feel like it's necessary for you guys - the final four survivors - to go through each fallen friend or foe in this place, which I coin as the 'Survivor Graveyard'." Alexa gazed around the place. "Sorry if it's too gloomy for some of you!"

Heeding his command, the survivors went through each fallen Survivor in order:

**"20th - Dr. Eggman (Eliminated at 5-4-1.)"**

Wii Fit Trainer pouted. "It must suck to be eliminated in general, but I especially feel bad for Eggman, he got eliminated first!"

"Well after he struck Alexa in the face because he lost a gameshow... yeah, I didn't really have the ability to pity him," admitted Captain Falcon.

Papyrus gasped. "NYEH?! HE DID SUCH A THING?"

**"19th - Gruntilda Winkybunion (Eliminated at 11-1.)"**

"Here lies the ugly which that I-a knew nothing about," Mario joked. "What was she like, Papyrus?"

The skeleton rubbed his chin. "HMM... OH, I REMEMBER! SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY RUDE."

In response to the disgust, he nodded. "I can-a tell with the number of votes she-a got. Sheesh."

"Whoa! She got more votes than there were people on her team?" Captain Falcon raised an eyebrow. "How did that happen?"

"I think Geoffrey got an extra two votes..." Remembered Wii Fit Trainer.

**"18th - Peter Griffin (Eliminated at 5-4.)"**

Captain Falcon folded his arms. "He's a nice guy, but he sucks at challenges!"

"I can see why, he has no fitness whatsoever. Did he expect to win a game that is physically demanding whilst also looking like that?!" Wii Fit Trainer sighed, shaking her head. "Some people really are deluded about their abilities, even if he is supposedly as nice as you say."

"AHEM, WE'RE IN A PROGRESSIVE SOCIETY!" Papyrus coughed forcefully. "AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I WAS TOLD..."

Wii Fit Trainer blushed mildly with shame as Mario noticed, chuckling at the situation. "Let's-a hope that karma doesn't hit you for saying something so bold."

"I-I didn't mean to make it personal, l-let's just move on," she begged.

**"17th - Soldier (Eliminated at 6-2-1.)"**

"Yeah... don't really like this guy, he seems a little, how do you put it... racist?" Wii Fit Trainer confessed.

"Either that or intensely patriotic," added Captain Falcon. "Oh, and insane too."

Mario scratched the back of his neck. "Why-a not all three?"

"Good point," he replied.

**"16th - Wario (Eliminated at 4-3.)"**

Mario groaned. "Mama mia... not-a this guy..."

"He's loud, gross, greedy, mean and brutal, I don't know him too much but he doesn't seem very pleasant." Captain Falcon then noticed something odd. "Wait a second, isn't his name just yours but with a 'W' instead of an 'M'?"

The plumber looked mildly offended at the statement. "He even-a dresses like me! How did you-a not know that sooner?"

"He wears a biker outfit most of the time, c'mon!" He attempted to justify his idiocy.

Papyrus cackled. "THEY WERE CLEARLY RELATED!"

"Yeah, at least I now know that he's just a copycat of Mario," Captain Falcon shrugged.

**"15th - Mr. Krabs (Eliminated via Double Elimination Twist.)"**

Wii Fit Trainer rolled her eyes. "SPEAKING of greedy..."

"HE WASN'T TOO BAD, FROM WHAT I EXPERIENCED, THOUGH THERE WAS SOME DRAMA INVOLVING HIM, SOLDIER AND WARIO! EVEN JOSUKE GOT INVOLVED, AND GOT CLOSE TO GETTING ELIMINATED FOR BREAKING THE RULES, APPARENTLY!" Papyrus described.

She nodded. "Oh, well, no wonder they were all eliminated around the same time..."

"Krabs was involved in a double-elimination too, so if that twist wasn't there, he'd probably still be here," Captain Falcon explained.

"14th - Geoffrey Butler (Eliminated at 8 votes.)"

"STRANGE..." Papyrus analyzed. "WHY DOES IT SAY THAT THIS HUMAN WAS ELIMINATED AT EIGHT VOTES?! THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER GRAVESTONES!"

Wii Fit Trainer sighed. "Well, he decided to sacrifice himself and got everyone on the team to vote for him, including himself. That's why it was eight votes and not seven-to-one."

"Yeah, he probably could have-a made it far if he didn't decide to that..." Mario guessed, twiddling his thumbs sadly. "At least he went out so the others didn't have to..."

**"13th - Squidward Tentacles (Eliminated at 3-2.)"**

Captain Falcon scoffed. "Oh great, he and Reigen both tried to eliminate me, but luckily Little Mac voted alongside me and Johnny to vote him out. Ever since then I've tried to help out Little Mac, though I couldn't help him out forever."

He gave a little frown, but was quickly reassured by Mario. "Don't worry!" He said. "It paid off, Papyrus might have voted for-a Samus instead!"

"I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE, BUT GOOD THING YOU WON ME OVER WITH THAT, PLUS YOUR PASSION FOR COOKING!" The skeleton applauded him.

"Y-yeah." The racer gave an uneasy chuckle. "My big passion for cooking!"

Wii Fit Trainer tapped her feet, her arms folded. "Nice to know that we've talked more about Samus and Little Mac than Squidward."

"WELL, HE'S A SQUID WHO WORKS AT A FAST FOOD JOINT, WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SAY?" Shrugged Papyrus.

**"12th - Gordon Ramsay (Eliminated at 4 votes.)"**

Papyrus sighed. "THE FIRST JURY MEMBER AT LEAST, BUT HE WAS THE BEST COOK OF THEM ALL! HE DIDN'T DESERVE TO BE ELIMINATED, BUT THE PESKY IDOL THAT SAMUS USED SAID OTHERWISE..."

"Do you only befriend people based on their ability to cook or something?" Captain Falcon interrogated.

He shook his head. "NO! IT ONLY BOOSTS MY RESPECT OF THEM TO A MARGINAL DEGREE. I CONSIDER LITTLE MAC AND JOSUKE TO BE MY FRIENDS, BUT THEY SEEM TO BE RATHER AVERAGE WHEN IT COMES TO THE ART..."

Wii Fit Trainer gave a disappointed look at his grave. "I think he was alright, but I wasn't a fan of his constant cursing."

"Being a chef must be a stressful business I-a guess," assumed Mario.

**"11th - Johnny Bravo (Eliminated at 5-4-2.)"**

"I can't tell whether to be disappointed in you for befriending him, or inspired that you MANAGED to befriend him. He's just a big dumb jerk that thinks he's classy when he isn't," spat Wii Fit Trainer. "If only he went out on day one."

Mario gave a stare towards Captain Falcon as she said that. "About that-" His words were quickly interrupted by Falcon's hand covering his mouth.

"WELL, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, CAN I JUST ASK HOW HE MANAGED TO KEEP HIS HAIR IN THAT... FASHION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE GAME?" Papyrus asked.

"Look, not even I know about that one, and I used to be in an alliance with him!" Said Captain Falcon.

He bitterly expired. "I GUESS WE'LL NEVER KNOW."

**"10th - Josuke Higashikata (Eliminated at 4-3-2-1.)"**

Mario gasped. "Wow! That's-a lot of different people who were voted against, back then."

Papyrus folded his arms. "WELL IF THERE WAS MORE COORDINATION WITH THE TRIBE, WE WOULD HAVE VOTED OFF SOMEONE WHO WASN'T JOSUKE!"

"Well he had this big invisible scary ghost thing that could fix anything and beat anything to a pulp, did you seriously want to keep someone like that?" Captain Falcon shuddered. "I know I wouldn't want to."

"HEY! HE'S A LOT NICER THAN THAT, AND THE ONLY TIME HE CAME CLOSE TO BEATING SOMEBODY UP IS WHEN THEY INSULTED HIS HAIR!" He defended.

Falcon tutted. "Doesn't sound like a very cool-headed person..."

**"9th - King Dedede (Eliminated at 8-1.)"**

"In retrospect... how did this guy make it so far?!" Wii Fit Trainer rubbed her chin.

Cheekily, Falcon countered her curiosity with a joke. "What, you're not going to complain about his weight like you did with Peter again, right?"

"Hey, shut it!" She hissed.

He gave a chuckle as Mario grinned. Papyrus, unfortunately, couldn't wrap his head around the joke.

**"8th - Little Mac (Eliminated at 4-2-2.)"**

"OH, WELL, AT LEAST HE DIDN'T GO OUT AS SAD AS I THOUGHT," Papyrus placed his bony hand on the grave out of respect.

Captain Falcon nodded. "Survivor seemed to get to him a little, he sorta got madder and madder with each loss. Maybe he just needs more preparation for next time, if there IS a next time..."

"INDEED!" The skeleton smiled. "THEN HE'D SURELY GET FURTHER!"

"You're undermining how impressive it is to get as far as Jury anyway, Little Mac might have slipped towards the end, but being eighth is great!" Wii Fit Trainer reminded.

**"7th - Arataka Reigen (Eliminated from Challenge.)"**

Captain Falcon shook his head sadly. "All he had to do was be a little quicker, and he wouldn't have had to deal with Sonic!"

"Yeah, and the fact that a ''regular'' old businessman managed to-a nearly beat a speedy athletic hedgehog is an accomplishment!" Mario agreed.

"Let's just move on, the more I'm reminded of that exhausting climb, the better I feel." Wii Fit Trainer bit her lip.

**"6th - Sonic (Eliminated at 4 votes.)"**

Papyrus cheered. "HUZZAH! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU BETRAY YOUR OWN ALLIANCE."

"Well, he had a motive behind it, at least," Wii Fit Trainer said. "Anyway, the only way to beat someone like Sonic was to use an idol, and I'm glad I held onto mine!"

In response, Falcon grinned. "I'm more glad than you are, trust me!"

They both laughed as they all moved on to the final grave...

**"5th - Samus Aran (Eliminated at 2-1.)"**

Papyrus pouted, kneeling down. "SIGH... HER ELIMINATION DIDN'T FEEL TOO LONG AGO..."

"Hate to break it to you, but that's because it happened around an hour or two ago!" Wii Fit Trainer reminded.

Mario recoiled upon looking at the grave. "She was-a very vigorous in this show. I'm just glad that she's-a finally gone, in the nicest way possible, that is..."

"Agreed!" Falcon boastfully folded his arms. "And I outlived her!"

"Well, what now?" Asked the plumber. "We've checked out of all the graves!"

Papyrus snapped his fingers. "I KNOW! HE MUST BE WAITING BACK AT TRIBAL COUNCIL, IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THIS PLACE."

They began casually walking back, with Papyrus jogging in front.

As he went past the gate, however...

_*SLAM*_

The main gate to the graveyard closed, separating Papyrus from the others.

"GAH!" He whined, grabbing the bars and pulling on them, but to no avail. "WHAT IS THIS CONTRAPTION?! I KNOW! I'LL GO GET ALEXA."

As he turned around, however, he flew back from the fright: Alexa was directly in front of him.

"No need..." He grinned. "Survivors, welcome to the final challenge!"

* * *

**Final Challenge: Night 31**

"Final challenge!?" Falcon gulped. "Well, this is it!"

Papyrus scratched his skull with confusion. "WHAT ABOUT ME?! I'M SEPARATED FROM THEM!"

"Well, I had the idea that the first one to leave this place wouldn't have to participate in the challenge!" Alexa wrung his hands. "Good thing you had separated yourself from the others already, or things would've gotten quite awkward..."

"WOWIE... THAT MEANS I'M SAFE!?" He jumped up and down like a giddy child. "I'M SAAAAFE!"

Mario grabbed the bars of the Survivor Graveyard, beyond upset. "Mama mia..."

"So what's this challenge going to have us do?!" Wii Fit Trainer asked.

He grinned. "I'm glad you asked! Today's challenge will involve the three of you in this Survivor Graveyard doing the most crucial thing that anyone surviving out in the wilderness should learn how to do. That is, starting a fire! You will grab twigs or other flammable materials from the area around you, and you will stuff it into the snuffed torches of the fallen survivors. You will then light it by any means necessary, and keep it lit until the end of the challenge, which is when all sixteen of the fallen torches have been lit! Whoever lights the least amount of torches, however, will be eliminated from Survivor Crossover, and will become the final member of Jury."

"WAAAAAH!?" Mario cried.

Alexa cackled. "I'm not joking! So when I begin this countdown, you better light as many torches as possible..."

"This will be easy," Captain Falcon cracked his knuckles. "I've been lighting campfires for my tribe since day uno!"

And with that, they all lined up as Alexa started the countdown...

"3..."

This was it, the final challenge, the TRUE final obstacle before the genuine climax of the show. Everything including this is nothing but the buildup to that magnificent moment, even to those survivors who failed to make it this far...

"2..."

Wii Fit Trainer, Captain Falcon, and Mario, no matter how confident they were in not getting last, they all expressed the same level of anxiety from this challenge, physically and mentally.

"1... GO!" Alexa barked, as every survivor began running around the Survivor Graveyard.

Mario scooped several branches into his arms before tucking them into Geoffrey's torch. If only he had a fire flower, he would have been able to best even Captain Falcon! Instead, he relied on friction to get a fire going.

Meanwhile, Wii Fit Trainer grabbed two handfuls of flammable twigs and leaves and crudely stuffed them into Sonic's torch. She knew how to light a fire, though it was usually a difficult process for her. She began rubbing two twigs together vigorously...

In contrast to those two, Captain Falcon stuffed twigs, leaves, and branches into Johnny's torch before his fist began glowing and lighting up.

"TUUURAAH!" He bellowed as he rammed his fist into it, instantly lighting the first torch.

"IN LESS THAN A MINUTE, CAPTAIN FALCON'S ALREADY LIT HIS FIRST FLAME, AND IT'S ROARING!" Alexa commentated as Papyrus cheered from behind the gate.

Wii Fit Trainer luckily found the friction she needed and dumped the flaming branch with the others, the flame slowly but surely growing as she attempted to feed it more oxygen.

"WII FIT TRAINER LIGHTS HER FIRST TORCH!" Said Alexa. "C'mon Mario!"

As soon as he gave him more confidence, the plumber managed to light his torch as he ran off to the next one.

"THERE YA GO!" The host cheered.

Captain Falcon had already lit his second torch: Soldier's torch, before the others could even reach their second.

Mario had a trick up his sleeve, however, as the plumber picked Wario's torch, which was next to Soldier's, and he dipped a branch into the flame that Captain Falcon had created. He used it to light Wario's torch.

Wii Fit Trainer observed it and had a similar idea, using her first torch as the hotspot to light her next torch, Reigen's.

More time ensued, and Captain Falcon was on his fourth torch, whilst the other two were on their third.

Things seemed simple at first, but then twigs and leaves began to get scarce, making it harder to light the torch and to feed the flame as well.

This wasn't too much of a problem until a few minutes later. Captain Falcon was on his sixth torch, and the other two were on their fourth.

Wii Fit Trainer's flame began to fizzle out, and Mario began to struggle to get Josuke's torch to light due to the lack of flammable things to feed it. Captain Falcon's technique of lighting still managed to help him out, and he lit two more torches before deciding to focus on keeping them lit by providing them with more heat. His work was done.

Now it was just a struggle between Wii Fit Trainer and Mario. Thirteen torches were lit, and all that remained were the two that they were trying to light, as well as Gruntilda's torch in the far corner.

Wii Fit Trainer managed to feed her torch just a little more flame by giving it some glass she plucked from the ground as Mario finally lit his fourth torch, running over to do the final torch.

It was a miracle, but within the first few seconds of holding the branch over an already lit torch, the fitness trainer managed to set alight to the branch and light her fourth torch. All of it came down to this final torch.

Mario stuffed it with what was left of the area in terms of twigs and leaves, and he began lighting it by trying to light it with a flaming twig.

Wii Fit Trainer showed up from behind and moved him out the way, attempting to light it herself with her own twig.

"GO! YOU CAN DO IT!" Papyrus indirectly cheered.

"YEAH, C'MON!" Captain Falcon agreed.

It was a battle between who could light Gruntilda's torch first, this was the final step in winning the show.

However, just before she could catch fire to the torch, Mario tapped on Wii Fit Trainer's shoulder and pointed to one of her torches, it went out.

"Nooo!" She yelled, running over and trying to light it.

Unfortunately, just as she managed to light it, Mario lit the final torch...

"THAT'S ENOUGH! THE CHALLENGE IS OVER!" Alexa announced. "Captain Falcon managed to light seven torches, Mario managed to light five, and unfortunately for Wii Fit Trainer, she only managed to light four, meaning that's she's been eliminated..."

"Damn it!" Captain Falcon frowned.

Wii Fit Trainer hung her head. "I'll go get my torch..."

"No need," he responded, holding her torch in his hand. "I brought them all down for this challenge..."

She watched as Alexa cruelly snuffed her torch, rendering her eliminated.

"Please leave Survivor Crossover, and claim your role as the final member of Jury," Alexa commanded.

Gloomily, she turned to the others and gave a small wave. "Well, good game. You managed to beat me, Mario..." Suddenly, her frown then transformed into a bright smile. "But Captain Falcon, I hope you win this out of anyone else! You've been a great alliance partner to work with."

"You have been as well," Captain Falcon smiled.

Wii Fit Trainer walked up to Mario, and shook his hand, muttering a "good luck," before moving onto Falcon, where she did the same, though her handshake was much more firm with him.

Finally, she exited the Survivor Graveyard and did the same for Papyrus.

"THANK YOU!" Beamed Papyrus. "YOU DID EXCEPTIONALLY WELL, MISS FIT TRAINER!"

She walked off, leaving the final three survivors to group up...

* * *

Wii Fit Trainer's Last Words: "Well, this was a fun game! I made lots of friends, I did lots of interesting challenges that gave me some good exercise, and I also nearly got to the end as well. Would I do this again? Not for a long time, but I'm glad I got this experience!"

* * *

**REMAINING SURVIVORS**

Laau Haupa (Yellow Team)

\- Mario

\- Papyrus

\- Captain Falcon

* * *

"Well, what happens now?" Captain Falcon asked.

"It feels empty now that there's only three of us," Mario admitted.

Alexa smirked. "The end of the show is near... follow me to Tribal Council."

"Oh no, not again!" The plumber placed his hands over his face. "Mama mia!"

"No no, it's not an elimination, those are over with..." He revealed. "Now just follow me already!"

"OKAY!" Acknowledged Papyrus, following him.

Captain Falcon and Mario were also close behind, and they were aching a little bit from the challenge...

* * *

**Grand Finale: Night 31**

For the first time in Survivor Crossover, they went into Tribal Council with minimal dread, thanks to the absence of elimination. Though to say that they weren't nervous over losing was incredibly wrong. They were close to shivering from the intensity, but luckily they all managed to control themselves.

Alexa appeared, smiling. "Well, this is it, the Grand Finale of Survivor Crossover: Tropics. Everything you've done has led up to this one crucial moment."

"So, what will-a decide the winner?" Mario asked.

He smirked. "Well, remember the Jury? Of course you do! Bring 'em in."

One by one, the Jury members began entering, greeting the three survivors and sitting down on the Jury bench:

Gordon Ramsay, the first member of Jury...

Johnny Bravo, the second member of Jury...

Josuke Higashikata, the third member of Jury...

King Dedede, the fourth member of Jury...

Little Mac, the fifth member of Jury...

Arataka Reigen, the sixth member of Jury...

Sonic the Hedgehog, the seventh member of Jury...

Samus Aran, the eighth member of Jury...

And finally, Wii Fit Trainer, the ninth and final member of Jury...

"Each of the Jury will cast one vote towards one of you three. Whoever receives the most votes will win the entirety of Survivor Crossover: Tropics, and as promised, the winner will receive one million dollars and a two-week stay at the Luxorium Hotel!" Alexa said. "Each Jury member will stand forth and will have their say on you three. Then the voting will ensue! Got it?"

Papyrus slowly nodded. "I THINK I GET IT!"

Captain Falcon gave a thumbs up. "I do too!"

Mario agreed. "Same here!"

Alexa wrung his hands once more. "Great! Let's start from the first member of Jury: Gordon Ramsay."

Gordon Ramsay stood up...

"I think you three have been rather excellent throughout this competition, but for entirely different reasons. Falcon, you have probably been the most strategic of the bunch, and you pack a lot of strength and skill in you as well. Not to mention you're also a good friend of mine alongside Mario, who used his complete raw strength and ability to do the best out of all of you in these challenges, overall... lastly, there's Papyrus, a skeleton that has the heart of an angel, though the voice of a bloody devil." He cracked a grin. "Anyway, I'm not sure WHO to vote just yet, so I'll just think about it some more, I promise I'll come to my conclusion before it's time for me to vote."

He sat back down. Johnny was next, and he rose from his seat...

"My man Falcon! Y'all were pretty good I guess, the skeleton was funny when he screamed a lot, and the short fat plumber was also pretty fine. Though Captain Falcon's been on my side for as long as I can remember! We've had a few negative moments here and there, but I'm going to vote him with full confidence. Can I sit down now?" He questioned.

Alexa gave a nod as he sat down.

Next was Josuke Higashikata...

"Naturally I'd vote for Papyrus. You've been a good friend, and you've kept me and probably a few others from going insane, and not only that, bu-"

King Dedede decided to interrupt his speech. "Wait, hang on! You think someone with a voice like that prevents people from goin' insane?!"

Gordon nudged him on the arm. "Hey, big boy, shut up. He's giving his speech."

"Pssh, whatever..." The penguin grumbled to himself.

Josuke rolled his eyes. "ANYWAY... you're also been kind to everyone else overall! You can come across as loud, annoying, or pathetic to others, but that's certainly not how I see you. That's why my vote will be going to you!"

He sat down, and King Dedede stood up from the bench with a pompous grin...

"Listen, this is a hard choice for me right here to make! It ain't because I don't know which one of you is the best, it's because I dunno which one of you is the least lame! What I'm tryna say is that y'all are annoying, so I'll probably vote based on the one who annoyed me the least throughout this darn show, capiche?"

The three glared at him as he gladfully sat back down, leaving the next Jury member, Little Mac, to give his speech...

"It's probably obvious that I'm going to vote for Papyrus, but hey! Mario and Falcon, you two were still incredible players, and you even helped me out plenty of times Captain Falcon! As for you, Papyrus, you were a pretty good friend throughout this show, and like with Josuke, you probably made things a lot better for me, even if I did get snappy towards you right before my elimination. I know you can win this!"

Papyrus smiled at him with glee. Little Mac then proceeded to sit down as Arataka Reigen stood up...

"This is a difficult choice. I don't know which one of you really deserves it the most, because you've all done well, which is obvious considering that you all made it this far. I think I'll have to discard Papyrus as an option, because he hasn't really done much in terms of challenges, nor has been a threat or a worthy opponent worth rooting for, though I won't care if he wins, or if anyone else wins."

He casually took his seat as Sonic stood up...

"You're all pretty cool people! Falcon managed to best me by having a secret alliance with Wii Fit Trainer, Mario has been pretty friendly for my rival, and Papyrus used to be in the same alliance as me before I left. I don't know who to vote for just yet, but keep in mind that I'm not the type to hold any bias towards any of you, so if you voted for me, I won't use it as a factor for picking a winner!"

Next was Samus Aran, who shot straight up before the hedgehog could even sit down.

"I know who to vote for. Though I'm not going to hint at it at all, just know that it could be anyone of you three, as I all think you'd be decent picks for a winner."

Her speech was short, yet it said a lot, and she sat down as the final Jury member, Wii Fit Trainer, stood up.

"It's probably obvious who I'm going to vote for, but I want you to all know that you did amazing! I know you've already sorta heard that repeated from the others here, but all of you are worthy of winning for more reasons than just 'getting this far', such as your attitudes, your strengths, and your friendliness. Good luck to all of you three!"

As she sat down, Alexa continued with the Finale. "Alright! Those are the speeches from the Jury! It doesn't directly say who wins, so it'll be a nifty surprise! Now..."

When he moved on, the tone fell intense, incredibly tense. An entire month of doing challenges, voting against others, finding idols and surviving... everyone asked themselves the question: who will truly win?

"Alright..." Alexa gave one last sadistic grin... "Jury, you may cast your votes!"

One by one, the Jury stood up and cast their votes to the other survivors, some took a while to decide, whilst others voted pretty much instantly.

He collected and received the votes...

_***THE FINAL VOTE!***_

This was it...

First vote goes to Captain Falcon, one vote Captain Falcon.

Second vote goes to Papyrus, one vote Papyrus, one vote Captain Falcon. ("YES!" He cheers.)

Third vote goes to Papyrus, two votes Papyrus, one vote Captain Falcon. ("YES!" He repeats, albeit louder.)

Fourth vote goes to Mario, one vote Mario, two votes Papyrus, and one vote Captain Falcon.

Fifth vote goes to Captain Falcon, two votes Captain Falcon, one vote Mario, and two votes Papyrus.

Sixth vote goes to Mario, that's two votes for Mario, Captain Falcon, and Papyrus. (They all clench their hands from the tension...)

Seventh vote goes to Captain Falcon, three votes Captain Falcon, two votes Mario and two votes Papyrus. ("C'mon..." Begs Falcon.)

Eighth vote goes to Mario, three votes Mario, three votes Captain Falcon and two votes Papyrus.

"This is it... the final vote that decides the victor of Survivor Crossover: Tropics, the vote that decides WHO wins the million dollars, the vote that decides WHO wins a two-week stay at the world's greatest Luxorium Hotel, the vote that decides EVERYTHING! And it goes to..." Alexa held his breath.

Silence...

Silence...

Yet more silence...

"It's NOT Papyrus," Alexa announced. "The vote will either go to Mario or Captain Falcon..."

"NOOOO!" Papyrus cried. "SO CLOSE..."

After this, more silence occurred, and they felt like they were going to go insane if Alexa didn't reveal the answer.

But finally... it was revealed...

"CAPTAIN FALCON!" He revealed. "AT A 4-3-2 VOTE, YOU'VE WON THE FIRST SEASON OF SURVIVOR CROSSOVER!"

Mario sighed, but managed to keep a smile, as Captain Falcon jumped into the air.

All of the Jury ran up to the three and began cheering.

"You did it!" Wii Fit Trainer said with bliss.

"I get money, AND a hotel stay?!" Falcon queried to Alexa.

He nodded. "Yep! A million dollars and a two-week stay, as I've been saying."

"This is so unreal. Thanks to everyone who voted for me!" Captain Falcon couldn't stop smiling, he finally overcame all of the challenges, and was the SOLE SURVIVOR!

And that was it, after cheering, everyone packed up and went back to their usual lives, Captain Falcon enjoying his luxurious stay at the hotel and appreciating the huge stash of money he received. Even if Mario and Papyrus lost, they still were praised endlessly from media all over the world for making it so far. Heck, most contestants in Survivor Crossover received lots of media love for participating on TV, so everyone won in a way, as cliche as it sounded...

As for Alexa and the staff behind Survivor Crossover: Tropics, they weren't done yet, in fact, with their show making so much money, they couldn't end this IP just yet! It was then where Alexa decided to begin working on making the second season of Survivor Crossover a reality...

THE END, AND TO BE CONTINUED IN SURVIVOR CROSSOVER: SEASON 2!

* * *

_***FINAL RESULTS***_

* * *

**VOTES**

Captain Falcon's Voters: Johnny Bravo, King Dedede, Samus Aran, Wii Fit Trainer.

Mario's Voters: Gordon Ramsay, Arataka Reigen, Sonic.

Papyrus's Voters: Josuke Higashikata, Little Mac.

* * *

**PLACEMENTS**

_BEGINNING ARC_

20th - Dr. Eggman (Eliminated at 5-4-1. Episode 1)

19th - Gruntilda Winkybunion (Eliminated at 11-1. Episode 2)

18th - Peter Griffin (Eliminated at 5-4. Episode 3)

17th - Soldier (Eliminated at 6-2-1. Episode 4)

_TEAM SHUFFLE ARC_

*Sonic eliminated via rock draw. Episode 5*

16th - Wario (Eliminated at 4-3. Episode 6)

15th - Mr. Krabs (Eliminated via Double Elimination Twist. Episode 6)

14th - Geoffrey Butler (Eliminated at 8 votes. Episode 7)

13th - Squidward Tentacles (Eliminated 3-2. Episode 8)

_TEAM MERGE ARC - All eliminees from this point will now become Jury members._

12th - Gordon Ramsay (Eliminated at 4 votes. Episode 9)

11th - Johnny Bravo (Eliminated at 5-4-2. Episode 10)

10th - Josuke Higashikata (Eliminated at 4-3-2-1. Episode 11)

9th - King Dedede (Eliminated at 8-1. Episode 12)

8th - Little Mac (Eliminated at 4-2-2. Episode 13)

7th - Arataka Reigen (Eliminated from Challenge. Episode 14)

6th - Sonic (Eliminated at 4 votes. Episode 15)

_FINALE ARC (Idols now void)_

5th - Samus Aran (Eliminated at 2-1. Episode 16)

4th - Wii Fit Trainer (Eliminated from Challenge. Episode 16)

Third Wheel - Papyrus (Received 2 Votes from Jury. Episode 16)

Runner-Up - Mario (Received 3 Votes from Jury. Episode 16)

Winner - Captain Falcon (Received 4 Votes from Jury. Episode 16)

* * *

**_Hello, and THANK you to all of you who have seen my fanfiction, especially those who saw it from beginning to end! This is my first story, so it's naturally sloppy in a lot of areas, but I'm striving to improve more and more, and the fact that you made it here must mean that it wasn't painful for you to watch, right?_**

**_Please leave a review for this story, I need that feedback to become the best I can possibly be for you beautiful people!_**

**_One last thing before I go: remember to vote in the Character Polls on my Profile page, so you can have your favorite characters return for Season 2 of Survivor!_**

**_Thank you AND goodbye! ^_^_**


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